Sonny With a Chance of Cafeteria Work
by LeighLand
Summary: When Sonny realizes she needs a new car to replace her current broken-down one, she gets a job at the Condor Cafeteria. But between Brenda, Mackenzie Falls, and Chad Dylan Cooper, every day becomes filled with tension. Who will help Sonny keep her job?
1. Thinking Again

**Sonny With a Chance of Cafeteria Work**

Author's note:

Hey everyone, so this is the first SWAC story I've ever written, inspired by the others I've read on this site. I came up with the plot line one night when I couldn't go to sleep, so hopefully no one else has already published a similar story! I don't even know if anybody will read this, but I had so much fun writing it and hope whoever does will enjoy it as well.

Disclaimer: I definitely do not own Sonny With a Chance; if I did, I wouldn't be writing this episode – you guys would have already seen it on TV. Haha :)

* * *

**Chapter 1: Thinking Again**

The morning sun glinted off of the metal guard gate which stood like a sentinel before the massive building that was Condor Studios. Tickling the few small trees scattered sparsely through the parking lot, a slight zephyr stirred the air and breathed refreshing wafts of air to the California climate.

_What a perfect day_, Sonny sighed blissfully, inhaling the warm air as she rolled – rather, as she chugged – into the lot with her window cranked down. The engine clunked along contentedly like an old friend, brakes squealing as she squeezed the small seventeen-year-old car into a parking space. Sonny turned off the ignition, manually revolved the handle to raise the window, and stepped out, turning the key in the lock after she carefully shut the door. The old thing had served her well, but she could never predict from one day to the next whether the engine would start up; she really needed another car. Glancing across the parking lot to the row opposite her, Sonny saw the unmistakable convertible that she had come to identify as Chad Dylan Cooper's venerated mode of transportation. She shook her head at the sun's reflection glaring off the pristine windshield and polished exterior.

_I wonder how many people he hires to clean that thing every day_, Sonny laughed inwardly, still staring at the luxurious car. To her astonishment the driver's door opened, and the king of drama himself lazily got out, smirking. Hands in his pockets, Chad Dylan Cooper strode towards her, his blonde hair as perfect and his sparkling blue eyes as alluring as ever.

"Hey, Sonny," he called, "Can't get enough of my Chadness, huh?" He shrugged his shoulders and smiled knowingly. "I mean, I already know how much you admire me and all, but it's _really _not necessary to stand there ogling me across a parking lot." Chad chuckled dryly, amused at how fast Sonny's peaceful demeanor shifted into a disgusted glare as he approached her. Of course, the teen idol would never admit to gazing at her himself, which was precisely what he had been doing undercover of his tinted windshield and the sun's blinding glare. Just several seconds ago, he had been admiring the girl clad in a short emerald dress, topped with a leather jacket and the familiar leather boots. The dress hugged her figure perfectly, setting off her brown eyes and luscious chestnut locks. Sonny Munroe sure was pretty cute, Chad had admitted to himself while sitting there in his car. Stupid cute.

The sound of Sonny speaking brought him back to earth with a jolt. "Yeah? So that's what you think I was doing?" she countered, her voice getting high. "W-w-well, for your information I didn't even know you were _in_ the car because I was too busy trying to calculate how much money you waste on that imperial vehicle of majesty over there." She snorted sarcastically and turned away toward the entrance of the studio, with Chad following her, furiously searching his brain for a comeback. Because everyone knew that Chad Dylan Cooper did _not_ lose arguments.

"Come on, Munroe – no need to take your jealousy out on my car," he said, taunting her quietly. "Just admit it – you've fallen for me… and my convertible." The heartthrob didn't have to wait long for his words to trigger a reaction.

Sonny whirled around to face him, now a few feet from entering the building. "You know what, Chad?" she said in a huff. "You know just the way to ruin a perfect morning! I was calm and optimistic and looking forward to today until you showed up," she said, shaking her head while her brown curls swept over her shoulders.

"And," she said, leaving him with a final piece of her mind, "I would never want to have a car like yours if it means I'd end up a jerk like you." She emphasized her point by poking her finger into his shoulder and turning on her heel with chin held high, slamming the studio door behind her. A wide-eyed Chad was left in her wake, shrugging his shoulders non-chalantly after the spunky girl that he found it so easy to annoy. "_Well_, little Miss Sunshine is heated today," he said to himself. Quickly composing himself, he sauntered into the lobby, confident as usual and ready to start the day now that he had satisfactorily ticked off Sonny.

***********

"Hey, Tawn," Sonny greeted the blonde diva as she entered the dressing room they both shared. Passing Tawni Hart's glittery pink-and-gold themed expanse, she crossed to her own side. Sonny set her purse down on her vanity, plopped into the chair and sighed loudly, watching Tawni apply more gloss on her already shimmering lips.

Tawni glanced at Sonny's reflection in the mirror and put the applicator back in the bottle. "OK, Sonny, what's wrong?" she questioned in a stilted tone. "Normally I wouldn't really care," she added, interrupting her castmate, "but after Hayden dropped by and gave me my favorite Cocoa Moco Cocoa lip gloss, I feel like being generous to the world!" Tawni finished brightly, opening her arms wide dramatically and clasping her favored cosmetic to her heart.

Sonny smiled wryly as her friend ended her dreamy monologue. Some things - especially Tawni's love of lip gloss – would never change. "Well, I'm glad to hear that you guys are getting along better." Returning to her castmate's original query, Sonny continued worriedly, "But I'm OK, I guess – it's just Chad is pushing my buttons again, that's all." She really was tired of Chad continually badgering her about her crush on him. From the very first time she'd seen him, Sonny had been attracted to the teen heartthrob, but had desperately tried to hide her affections. More than anything, she had hoped it wasn't a one-way feeling and was awaiting the day when Chad would admit he'd fallen for her as well. But her hopes were dashed almost every time they spoke – either Chad Dylan Cooper had no feelings for her, or he was keeping up the biggest façade in history. Sonny had prayed desperately that it was just the second reason.

Before letting her mind wander any further, she paused, collected her thoughts, and changed the subject before her friend delved into the soul-searching topic that Sonny had come to dread. "By the way, Tawn, do you know of any part-time jobs around here?" she asked.

"Jobs? What's a job?" Tawni whispered thoughtfully to herself, tapping her finger on her chin. "Oh, you mean something where you actually have to work hard to get more money?" she exclaimed as the idea hit her. Sonny nodded slowly with an encouraging smile. It was almost like the time Sonny had revealed that Tawni's cold closet for winter coats was in fact a refrigerator.

"Oh, I don't know," the blonde continued, uninterested. "I've never had to work outside of Hollywood – I'm so pretty people would just pay money to look at me, without me having to do anything," she sighed contentedly. "Why would you want to do more work anyways?" Tawni questioned confusedly.

"As much as I hate the thought, I'm gonna have to get rid of my car. I really need a newer one since mine is threatening to break down any minute, but I'd have to get another job somewhere to pay for it." Sonny sighed. "All of what I'm earning now is going towards college, so I need to find part-time work somewhere." After spending a few seconds in thought, she grinned as a brilliant idea waltzed into her ever-scheming mind.

"Oh, great, she's thinking again!" came a voice from above, as both girls turned to see Zora spying out of her vent. Her impish face, framed by two braids, could be seen peering out from her familiar haunt. Tawni threw up her hands in surrender. "I'm just going to have to give into the fact that I'll never have true privacy with a professional sneak like you spying around, Zora."

Sonny laughed, got up out of her chair and started towards the door. "Yes, Zora, I am thinking again - and I'm gonna ask Marshall if he knows of any jobs around the studio I can apply for while we're filming this season's shows." She strode out briskly in her leather boots, leaving both of her castmates staring after her.

"She's sure on a mission," Tawni commented, swiveling back around in her chair to study her reflection.

"And if I know Sonny and there's a job to be had, she'll get it," Zora said wryly, slamming her vent closed and retiring into the shadowy depths of her domain.

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So what do you think? I would really welcome constructive criticism or comments as I am a new writer; and I'll see if I can't pick up a few tips from all you experienced ones out there. ;) I've written four finished chapters but will wait a few days to upload them one at a time so I can get some good reviews to know how to continue. So please review!

~ Victoria L. a.k.a. _**addicted2SWAC**_


	2. A Job!

**Sonny With a Chance of Cafeteria Work**

Author's note:

I want to sincerely thank all of my reviewers who have taken the time to comment on my story. You guys have no idea how much your input means to a new FanFictioner like me! So thanks to xox-karz2kaii-xox, dynamiteword, cecills, gAnGsTa GaBbY lOvEs JoKeR, and my anonymous reviewer for your reviews. A special thanks goes to WhiteRose6136 for a very insightful and constructive review – this one really made my day!

OK, so here's the second chapter. *Crosses fingers nervously* Hopefully y'all will like it. According to my basic outline, this story may be anywhere from 7-10 chapters long, but we'll see. Enjoy!

By the way, I just want to throw this out there – I'm not able to access FanFiction over the weekend, so if you guys happen to send me reviews and haven't heard from me, it's not because I'm ignoring you or anything. I'll make sure to get back to all of you as soon as I can. Alright, _now _enjoy!

* * *

**Chapter 2: A Job!**

Marshall Pike, director of So Random, was lounging in his office, puzzling over a new sketch that had been submitted by his two protégés Nico and Grady. It starred the two best friends as bumbling country goons who decided to go on a camping trip together and who were beset by a series of comical misfortunes. He sank back in his office chair, rubbing the top of his bare pate thoughtfully. The sketch was going to need more of a plot first of all, he determined – by the looks of it Nico and Grady had created the sketch spontaneously without any thought towards the enjoyment of the audience. In the middle of editing the sketch, a knock on his office door interrupted the director's work.

"Come in," Marshall called, smiling as the open door revealed Sonny. "Hey kiddo, what's up? Have a seat." He pointed hospitably to the empty chair across from him. "Anything I can do for you?"

"Thanks," Sonny beamed, smoothing out her short emerald dress and arranging the black leather jacket that complimented the outfit. "Marshall, I was just wondering if you know of any part-time jobs around the studio." Her smile faded as the director frowned. "Wait, I'll explain," she held up her hand and continued. "I know I have rehearsals every day, but I really need some extra money for a new car. Mine's about to break down, and if I could find a position around here for a couple hours each day, that would be all I need. I could even work at night, if there was no free time during the day." She held on tightly to the arms of the chair, leaning forward intently as she tried to convince him of the necessity of her request.

"Well…" Marshall paused dramatically, knowing this decision could not be rushed. On the one hand, Sonny's job would reduce her flexibility to be at rehearsals and might cause the other cast members to seek out jobs. On the other hand, however, Sonny was a hard worker and deserved a little extra leeway for the new dimension she'd brought to So Random. Marshall reached a verdict inside his mind - it was time to do something for the ray of sunshine that had positively affected the lives of thousands of viewers as well as his own. "If it were any of the others asking me, I would have said no." Sonny held her breath as he continued. "But coming from you, kiddo, I know it's a genuine request. I think I can hook up something for you, maybe in the cafeteria. Brenda, our head attendant, has been complaining lately about her workload, so I'm sure she would welcome an assistant." A huge sigh of relief escaped the girl in front of him, and her contagious smile caused him to grin as well. "In fact, I'll give her a call right now," Marshall said energetically, picking up the phone.

Sonny tried to imagine what Brenda was saying on the other end of the line as she listened to the conversation. Marshall was scribbling furiously on a notepad while balancing the phone between his cheek and shoulder. Finally, after what seemed like an eternity, he hung up and handed her the written list across his desk. "I've set you up to be Brenda's assistant," he notified her. She read down the list of notes:

- _Must be on time_

_- No missed days/hours are acceptable; tardiness and/or taking off sick will result in termination_

_- Must take orders without question_

_- Must be alert and polite_

_- Wages: $7.50 per hour_

Sonny processed all the information before continuing to skim down the paper. Marshall had jotted down how her work and rehearsal schedule would coincide:

- _7:00 a.m.-9:00 a.m. – breakfast shift_

_- 9:00 a.m.-11:30 a.m. – rehearsal _

_- 11:30 a.m.-1:30 p.m. – lunch shift_

_- 1:30 p.m.-4:30 p.m. – rehearsal _

_- 5:00 p.m.-8:30 p.m. or later – dinner shift; general clean-up_

Sonny threw down the paper on the desk and ran behind it to give Marshall a suffocating hug. "Thank you _so_ much," she said, grinning from ear to ear. "You have no idea how much this means to me."

"Well, it's the least I can do, kiddo," Marshall said fondly. "You'd better go and get ready for rehearsal, now. I'll see you in a few," he stated dismissively.

***********

Sonny burst through Marshall's office door and headed back towards her dressing room. Once out of earshot of anyone, she squealed and started dancing: "I've got a jo-ob, I've got a jo-ob, oh yeah! I've got a….. uggh!" she shrieked, as she fell to the floor. In her excitement, Sonny had turned the corner and tripped over someone who was heading the opposite way.

"Sonny? What the-" a familiar voice called from above. Sonny was eye-level with a gleaming black shoe. Her gaze traveled up a khaki pants leg to a blue sports coat and striped pink-and-blue tie until it came to rest on the face she had come to both love and hate – Chad Dylan Cooper. With a smirk, he offered his hand to help her up. She took it, but was surprised when he let go a second afterward.

Grinning, Chad informed her, "I don't know that I should help you up after all, Sonny. I mean if you recall, the last time I helped you after you 'sprained your ankle' during that silly game of musical chairs, you laid me on the floor." He looked down as Sonny rolled her eyes, reluctantly smiling while still huddled on the floor. He could see her chestnut eyes sparkling with laughter at the remembrance of their rivalry on one of her very first days at So Random.

"That's how good I am at acting," she finally countered, rubbing it in. "I can even deceive the 'greatest actor of our generation', which I guess makes _me_ the 'greatest act_ress_ of our generation'!" she announced victoriously.

Shaking his head and at a loss for words, Chad bent down and helped her up, cursing himself inwardly for giving into Sonny so easily. "Thank you," she said as she released his hand, straightening the dress that suited her figure perfectly.

"No problem," he answered, grinning mischievously as he lighted upon a comeback – "but I think groveling before Chad Dylan Cooper is taking it just a little too far, Sonny," Chad admonished jokingly. "Though I'll gladly accept compliments, presents, and – ow!" he exclaimed as the brunette punched him in the arm with moderate force.

"There's a nice present for ya!" she laughed hysterically while running away from the surprised heartthrob.

"Wait, come back here, Munroe!" Chad cried, dashing after her and finally managing to grab onto her wrist, trying to suppress a grin. "I'm not finished with you yet. The least you could do is give me an explanation of why you ran into me in the first place," he added, waiting expectantly.

"Alright, alright!" Sonny acquiesced, catching her breath from the furious hallway chase. "But first, let go of me," she grunted as she tried to wrestle her hand from Chad's tight hold. He blushed slightly, not even realizing he had been grasping her wrist.

"Fine," he mumbled, releasing her and shoving his hands in his pockets.

"Fine."

"Good!"

"Good!" Sonny exclaimed, before composing herself. "OK, so I'm sorry for running into you, but I was just celebrating because… I got a part-time job here in the cafeteria!" She ran on breathlessly, clapping her hands and bouncing up and down.

Chad raised his eyebrow skeptically. "Why do you need another job? Getting tired of Chuckle City?" he whispered. "Don't worry, I won't the others know."

"No, Chad, unlike you I genuinely enjoy my job, not just the fame and perks that come with it," she explained. "I just need some extra money, so now I get to help Brenda out in the cafeteria," Sonny beamed energetically. "I'm starting tomorrow."

"Well, good luck with that," Chad grimaced. "You don't know what you're getting yourself into with Brenda. She's not exactly the model coworker, ya know, Sonny," he shook his head warningly.

But Sonny was not to be dissuaded. "Oh, come on, we'll get along fine! I'm sure under her stony face there's a heart of gold," the So Random star reminded him optimistically. She produced her phone from her leather jacket pocket, took a quick glance at the time, and gasped, "Oh my gosh! I'm late to rehearsal – I've gotta run!" Sonny started jogging down the hall and shouted over her shoulder, "Bye, Chad!"

And with that, she turned the corner and was out of sight, leaving Chad Dylan Cooper to his own thoughts.

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I feel like this was a bit of a filler chapter, but it really is necessary to set up the rest of the story. The next chapter will have a little more excitement! Observe the magic button below – every time it is pushed it makes me very, very happy! Haha. :) So please review!!

~ Victoria L., _**addicted2SWAC**_


	3. Part of the Problem

**Sonny With a Chance of Cafeteria Work**

Author's note:

A HUGE thank you to all of those FanFic readers who have sent me encouraging reviews for the second chapter: Isabella101, cecills, Kate-Emma, dynamiteword, gAnGsTa GaBbY lOvEs JoKeR, sonnycentral, Ladee Bear, and my anonymous reviewer demi/sterling. You guys are great! I loved reading each and every one of your reviews, so thank you.

AND just before I posted this I got an alert that Kate-Emma's story "A Hard Awards Night" had been updated with the fourth chapter. When I started to read it, there was a VERY sweet announcement, and I was so touched that she dedicated the chapter to me! So I'd like to send a BIG thank you her way, because that really made my day! :) And be sure to check out her work as well - one of my favorites is her one-shot "Sonny With a Chance of Cliches" which is very witty and hilarious - y'all will love it.

OK, so just in case you guys are wondering about my methods of updating, here's the deal: Mondays and Fridays will probably be the days I post new chapters. That gives me a few days in between to gather tips from reviews and start on the next chapter. If I happen to get an extra dose of inspiration, there's a possibility I might post on Monday, Wednesday, and Friday, but that would be a rare occurrence. ;) I do have quite a bit of other things going on besides writing, although I wish I had more time to allot towards this story!

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**Chapter 3: Part of the Problem**

It was the next day, and Sonny nervously strolled towards the cafeteria. _Ten minutes to seven_, she observed mentally, glad that she'd be arriving a little early on her first day of work. The brunette pushed open the swinging doors to the kitchen, which was located behind the buffet counter. A large, white-washed room glaring of stainless steel appliances and spacious counters silently bade its new occupant a formidable welcome. Intimidated at first glance, the girl knew that although her workplace didn't exactly suit her cheerful disposition, she'd make the best of it nonetheless. As she observed her surroundings, Sonny brightened as the hefty cafeteria worker, Brenda, turned around from her work.

"Hi, Brenda!" she smiled widely and stuck out her hand. "I'm Sonny, I don't know if you remember me. I'm one of the kids on So Random."

The other woman stared at the girl's outstretched hand – ignoring the friendly gesture – and bluntly answered her in a harsh tone. "Oh, yes, I remember you. You're on of the kooks on that other unpopular show."

Sonny's smile dropped and she listened nervously, suddenly lowering her hand. "But that doesn't matter here – we all work the same no matter what, so grab a hairnet and apron and help me set out breakfast," Brenda ordered, her voice sounding not unlike a drill sergeant's. She motioned over to a corner of the back wall where a box of hairnets lay on a shelf below several hooks, from which hung clean, starched aprons imprinted with the Condor Studios emblem. Eyeing her critically, Brenda added, "And don't bother to dress up anymore – fashion isn't important here, Sammy."

Sonny pursed her lips patiently and obeyed the woman's orders, choosing to overlook the mispronunciation of her name. Before long, trays and containers of unpalatable-looking breads and cereals were arranged neatly on the buffet table, ready for the first hungry diners to arrive. Sonny's duties were to serve at the buffet table and wipe down tables after the guests left while Brenda puttered around in the kitchen. Not long afterwards the cafeteria was filled, and she noticed her castmates coming in for their usual breakfast.

Tawni was the first to appear, looking sleepy (_and pretty!_ Sonny thought to herself, smiling inwardly as she recalled Tawni's catch phrase). The blonde paused in the doorway, surveyed the room for prospective dates, tossed her hair, and with one hand on her hip sauntered into the room as if she were a model strutting on a catwalk. Zora followed behind with her nose stuck in her phone, and Nico and Grady brought up the rear, babbling incessantly – intent on beating each other at their self-proclaimed knock-knock joke tournament. They all greeted Sonny who filled their plates as they filed past the buffet. Tawni, of course, would only want a small muffin – her castmate knew from experience – because she took excessive care to watch her figure. Zora would ask for a little bit of everything and then mix it together in a horrifying inedible concoction; Nico and Grady would pile their plates high with anything that _was_ edible… and then come back for seconds.

"Thanks, Sonny!" they all chorused gratefully, bringing a wider smile to Sonny's already beaming face. She sighed happily as she watched them converse at a nearby table. So far her first day at work had gone smoothly.

Her thoughts were interrupted by a recognizable voice. "Hi, I'd like the usual," ordered a girl clad in the despised Mackenzie Falls uniform Sonny was accustomed to seeing everywhere around the studio. Sure enough, it was Portlyn, the first member of the rival show the So Random girl had seen in the cafeteria that morning.

"Oh, hey, Portlyn!" Sonny greeted the girl with a forced smile. "Sorry, I'm new here, so just tell me what you want and I'll plop it on!" she added with gusto.

Portlyn glared accusingly at Sonny. "_What_ are you talking about?" she questioned shrilly. "I _know_ you're not suggesting you're going to serve me the same thing you're giving to these common folk," she snorted, gesturing to the crowded room with an upturned chin.

"Well, I'm sorry, Portlyn," Sonny replied politely but firmly, "but this is what's on the menu and this is what you get. So what do you –" she was cut off by a sharp nudge from Brenda who appeared at her side, forcing her to step away.

"Here you go, dearie – poached eggs just the way you like 'em with fruit and bacon on the side," she said in a sugary tone to the Mackenzie Falls girl while simultaneously shooting a glare at Sonny. The woman lifted a silver cover and handed the meal to Portlyn, who tossed her head and walked away to find a table. Sonny's jaw dropped as she saw the sumptuous meal prepared especially for the snob, a wave of righteous anger flooding over her.

Brenda turned sharply to the girl beside her. "What do you think you're doing? I thought you'd have learned by now that the number one show gets the number one perks." She frowned, accentuating the pudgy wrinkles that framed her unattractive face.

Sonny responded while attempting to keep her calm, "Look, Brenda, I know you think Mackenzie Falls is the best show and everything, and there's nothing wrong with that. But they're normal people just like everyone else, and I don't see why they get treated like royalty." She motioned to everyone else in the room. "I mean, all of these guys are people, too! They deserve the same service as Portlyn," the girl debated earnestly.

"Sammy, do you want a job or not? If you're going to argue with someone who's been working at Condor Studio's cafeteria for ten years, then I don't need your help around here." Brenda crossed her arms belligerently after rendering the ultimatum. Her piercing eyes were forbidding, her brow contracted angrily above them. Sonny faltered under the woman's glare. As much as she hated the injustice of Brenda's system, she desperately needed the job. "Alright, we'll do it your way," she conceded reluctantly, and went back to work. Brenda carried out the rest of the covered silver dishes and placed them on the shelves behind the buffet for Sonny to distribute before disappearing once more behind the swinging kitchen doors.

Soon afterwards, the rest of the Mackenzie Falls clique arrived, each receiving their own personalized dishes. Sonny was handing out the platters so fast, she didn't even notice when Chad Dylan Cooper stepped forward to receive his. Noticing her displeased countenance, Chad asked, "Wow, what's up with you, Munroe?"

She glanced up, surprised. "Nothing," she mumbled, handing over his plate.

"Um, yeah, I can see that," he replied, obviously not convinced by her answer. "But there's nothing _this_ face can't do to cheer up someone's day, right?" Chad smirked big-headedly, gesturing to himself. If Sonny hadn't been so perturbed by the unfairness of the situation, she might have smiled at his egotistical remark. Instead the brunette responded, "Look, Chad – you're part of the problem," and marched off to wipe down cafeteria tables.

The teen heartthrob followed her, balancing his dish in one hand and shoving the other into his pocket. Something sure was wrong with Sonny today – they hadn't even had their daily argument, and she was already annoyed with him. But Chad Dylan Cooper didn't let himself get caught up in caring about others. So he brushed past her, transferred a note he'd written from his pocket into her apron pocket, and continued on to the Mackenzie Falls table.

Sonny felt the slight impact and looked down to see what he had left her. Setting her cleaning cloth down to fish for the item, she pulled out a neatly folded note. The So Random star wondered why Chad would take the time to write to her and curiously began to open it, heart pounding just a little bit faster.

She was indignant at what she saw.

***********

That note had ruined half of Sonny's day. It had caused her to have to cut out of rehearsal fifteen minutes early. It had forced her to leave the studio temporarily and travel to the nearest store in her unpredictable car. It had required that she slave extra hard before her mid-day shift. And all because Chad Dylan Cooper had asked – no, demanded – that he have filet mignon for lunch.

Just the thought of it made Sonny want to scream. That jerkface of an actor had put her through all this just for the three words written on that note: _Lunch – filet mignon_. That was all the piece of paper had said, and had it been animate, it would have trembled at the fire sizzling from Sonny's usually docile chocolate eyes; in fact, the sheet would have melted in its spot under her glare. Sonny knew that Chad wouldn't care that such a dish was not normally stocked at the studio kitchen; that she'd had to shop at a specialty grocery store to find something along that line; that Brenda had been so busy preparing lunch that she had left the task of making Chad's repast up to Sonny. No – he wouldn't think twice about all the suffering one tiny decision had caused her.

Now serving lunch, Sonny bottled up her angry thoughts as she doled out the usual slop that comprised a meal at the Condor Cafeteria. She had already discovered during her short time working in the cafeteria that it would be one of those jobs that had to be endured, not enjoyed. She gave a half-smile as Nico and Grady bounced up to the line, expectantly holding out their plates.

"So how's it goin', Sonny? How you likin' yo job with Brenda the Bag Lady?" Nico teased, laughing and smacking his buddy good-naturedly in the shoulder as they goofed off together. "Get it?"

Grady gasped mirthfully, "Bag Lady, ahahaha!" the two friends reveled in the name-calling until Zora appeared behind them and knocked their heads together simultaneously.

"Ow!" the two boys shouted instantly, glaring round at their young castmate.

"_Knock_ it off, will ya?" she said, rolling her eyes. Sonny laughed at her obvious pun. "So how _is_ your job going, Sonny?" Zora questioned. "Remember, if that old witch is mistreating ya, just let me know." The girl put her hands on her hips and struck a confident pose. "I can summon an army of gnomes in an instant to get her back for you!" she screeched victoriously in a rather creepy way.

"Thanks for the offer, Zora," Sonny looked at her strangely with a raised eyebrow. "You're still on that 'revenge' craze, aren't you?" Ever since Sonny's first day at So Random, Zora had been oddly interested in helping her new castmate get revenge on anything and anyone who was against her.

"Yep!" the girl responded with a low chuckle. "But really, how are things?"

"Well," Sonny paused reluctantly, "Between Chad and Brenda this has been one of my worst jobs _ever_," she whispered confidentially, making sure neither of the afore-mentioned individuals were in earshot. "I've been running around like Tawni looking for lost lip gloss just to make Chad's specialty lunch on time so I won't get fired, and Brenda's been acting like a drill sergeant!" She frowned and stopped to catch her breath, thinking over the day's events so far. "But I'm not a quitter, so I'm just gonna stick with it until I've earned enough," Sonny added doggedly.

"You go, Sonny!" Nico encouraged, while Grady sympathetically patted her shoulder and Zora looked on approvingly. "Well, we'd better get moving – I think we're holding up the line," Zora said, shoving the two boys out of the way. "Good luck," she finished as they moved on.

Sonny sighed but began to cheer up as she continued serving at the buffet. She loved her So Random family – they were almost always supportive of her, and she recognized their queries about her first day at work as being heartfelt. A smile began to spread over her face as she worked away and momentarily forgot about her troubles.

That is, until a certain three-named individual appeared in front of her. "Sonny," Chad Dylan Cooper acknowledged her with a smirk. The teen idol gave his nemesis a quick once-over, noting to himself that somehow Sonny Munroe still managed to look stunning even while wearing a hairnet.

"Chad," she responded with a dangerous gleam in her eye.

"About that note I left you," he continued, choosing to ignore her murderous glare, "did you make what I ordered?"

In response, she bent down, brought out the silver platter, and angrily snatched off its cover. "There, is that acceptable, your Highness?" she snapped sarcastically, showcasing a delectable-looking filet mignon that would have mortified any other steak in comparison.

"Um, actually, I was just here to let you know I changed my mind," Chad said, clearing his throat authoritatively.

"You WHAT?" Sonny shouted. Her blood was boiling and she was not about to let this slide.

"Yeah," Chad responded while looking at her strangely. "I'm just gonna go with The Chad today," he decided, referring to the infamous specialty sandwich named after him. _Sonny can be so strange sometimes,_ he thought to himself, as he saw a look of frustration engulf her face as her chest heaved up and down. She slammed the platter down on the counter in front of her.

"_Chad._ _Dylan._ _Cooper_." Sonny began, speaking through clenched teeth. "You are the most inconsiderate, unbelievable jerk I have _ever_ met, and that's putting it nicely." She took a deep breath and stopped, willing herself not to make a scene.

"What did I even _do_ to you?" Chad replied, raising his voice and shrugging his shoulders in confusion.

"Do you really want the answer to that?" she lashed back. "You just don't even realize that your stupid little demanding note ruined half my day – made me miss part of rehearsal, leave the studio, and slave away endlessly," she ticked off the reasons on her fingers. "And just because the 'star of the number one show' wants something special for lunch. And I can't afford to get fired for ignoring it!" Sonny shook her head disgustedly.

"I think you're just jealous, Sonny." Little did he know that was the wrong thing to say to the already enraged girl opposite him.

"JUST LEAVE, CHAD!" she fumed. "It's _obvious_ you really don't care about anyone but yourself and your lunch!"

"You know what? Maybe I don't!" He retorted irritably, turning on his heel and storming back to the Mackenzie Falls table but not before snatching up his meal.

Once Chad was seated, he glanced out of the corner of his eye to see Sonny hurriedly refilling dishes of food with a furious countenance. Although he was perturbed at her himself, he felt a small twinge of regret as he thought he saw her chin trembling as if she was holding back tears. Sure enough, another covert glimpse revealed one solitary shiny streak lining the side of her face. All of a sudden, Chad Dylan Cooper didn't feel hungry anymore. He pushed around the food on his plate, staring blankly down at his meat. He hadn't meant to make Sonny cry, but the teen idol was used to getting his way and steamrolling anyone who second-guessed his wishes. It was a momentous occasion in Chad's life – the first time in which he felt sincere remorse for his actions. Then and there, he realized he'd have to go out of his way to make it up to Sonny.

* * *

Whew! That was an intense argument for me to write. As you've probably noticed, I've developed Sonny's character just a little bit with the outburst at the end, but hopefully I'm still sticking to the spirit of the show so far. Believe me, this is about the only time in the whole story where she's irate, and that's because I like writing about a cheerful, happy-go-lucky Sonny! What do you guys think? Please do let me know if I'm writing out of character – that's the last thing I want to do!

Also, I'd like to take the time once more to thank all of those who have reviewed and/or alerted this story. Your support is very valuable and makes it worthwhile to me to continue writing. A big thank you goes as well to all those who have read this, even if you haven't had the opportunity to give any input. I'm so blessed to have a great audience out there! :)

If you do get the chance, however, please avail yourself of the button below…

~ Victoria L., a.k.a. _**addicted2SWAC**_


	4. Jump Starting

**Sonny With a Chance of Cafeteria Work**

Author's note:

Alrighty, guys! First of all I want to thank everyone who has reviewed Chapter 3: cecills, sonny with a zebra shirt, sonnycentral, and my anonymous reviewers. Your little notes of encouragement are **_so_** appreciated, and I'm glad to hear that y'all are enjoying the story so far! A special thanks goes to Kate-Emma and WhiteRose6136 for writing such awesome reviews - your comments about the characters are really helpful to me, so thanks a bunch for your continued support of the story. ;)

Just to give you guys a head's up, I noted in Chapter 3 that I'll usually update on Mondays and Fridays. Well, this weekend I'll be out of town, but I'm going to try extra hard to either write a really long chapter for next Monday or maybe update with two chapters. We'll see! So I do apologize about making you all wait a week for the next update, but know that I'm not slacking and am still working hard on this story!

Thanks a lot and enjoy~

* * *

**Chapter 4: Jump-Starting**

Looking warily over the darkened parking lot, Sonny made her way to her decrepit vehicle. Only a few other cars were scattered over the pavement, transforming the usually busy atmosphere of Condor Studios to appear abandoned and solitary. She looked around her, cautious of being alone at night, and fished around in her purse to find her keys. When the So Random girl finally gained entrance to her car, she sunk in the driver's seat wearily. It had been a _long_ day.

Between Brenda and Chad, they'd managed to exhaust her physically and mentally, and she was plumb worn out after her first day at work. Through the afternoon and evening, she'd worked monotonously at rehearsal and at the cafeteria, just doing whatever it took to get her through the day. Sonny was finally going home and when she arrived, she knew she'd head right off to bed. She was already dreaming of lounging in her comfortable pajamas and reading a good book in bed as she turned the key in the ignition.

But the usual sound of the engine didn't emanate from the bowels of the vehicle. Instead, a loud cacophony erupted, sounding telltale signs that the engine just might be giving up the ghost. Sonny inhaled slowly and tried to start the car again, but to no avail. She slammed her head back against the headrest. _This is just what I need to top off my day_, she thought, discouraged. Opening the door, Sonny decided she'd have to reenter the studio and see if anyone was still around to jump her car. Either that or she'd have to ask for a ride home.

She began walking briskly away from her vehicle when she saw a dark figure approaching her from a distance. Suddenly on edge, Sonny started to retrace her steps while her heart stepped up its pace as well. The figure was gaining on her, but she made it back in time to lock herself in. Now all of her weariness cleared as her adrenaline began pumping, and she focused on getting herself and the car out of there before the mysterious person arrived. Sonny desperately tried to start the engine up again, turning on the ignition while giving it some gas and hoping the maneuver would work. But once again, it stubbornly refused to start.

Suddenly something sent tingles up the back of her neck as she could sense a presence outside of the driver's window. The absence of lights in the lot made it impossible to identify the figure. At that moment Sonny heard several taps on her window, and it was then that she began to panic. She started reaching for her phone, ready to call 911 if the stalker refused to go away. Flipping open her cell, she was about to commence dialing when she heard a muffled, "Sonny, it's just me," from the other side of the door.

The figure moved its face close to the window, and Sonny shone the light from her phone towards it before unlocking her door. Sure enough, it was Chad Dylan Cooper.

Letting out a huge sigh of relief, Sonny got out of the car and left her door open, resting one arm on it. "W-what do you want, Chad?" she questioned shakily, her body trembling from the experience.

"Well, I just…" he began, but noticed that she was shivering with a frightened countenance. "Hey, are you OK?" he questioned sincerely, placing a warm hand on her shoulder to steady her. Sonny was astonished at his gentle tone and gesture – this was nothing like the Chad Dylan Cooper she'd fought with vehemently earlier today. He took a step forward to peer into her face through the dark. "You look like you've seen a ghost," Chad said with the slightest hint of concern lacing the edge of his voice.

Sonny pulled herself together and stepped back, inadvertently shaking off his hand as she mustered up some courage. "Yeah, well unless you count as a ghost, I haven't seen one," she replied dryly and slid back into the driver's seat, leaving the door open. The brunette tried to start the car again, raising her voice in explanation over the brief rumbling, "See, I thought you were a stalker or something, which was the _last_ thing I needed tonight, because my car won't start and I'm really tired and I want to get home but I –" She was cut off by Chad.

"Look, do you need a jump or something?" he questioned with an eyebrow raised. He was lounging against her open car door and observing the obvious engine trouble Sonny was experiencing.

As soon as she processed his offer, she turned to him with a suspicious look in her eyes. "Why are you being so nice? Is there something you want from me?" the girl countered confusedly, shaking her head. Chad's change in behavior was catching her off guard, and she wasn't sure what to make of it.

"No, why would I want something from you?" he replied, rolling his eyes. "CDC's got everything he needs," Chad added, popping his collar with a smirk. _Obviously_, Sonny noted mentally with an outward grimace, _he's back to the same old Chad – so much for the whole "nice" thing._ It seemed like every time Chad Dylan Cooper began to reveal his soft side to Sonny Munroe, her glimpse of the _real_ Chad was halted by his big ego. At least that side existed, she acquiesced – she'd experienced it first-hand at prom, and when he recommended her for the audition, and when he'd come to "save" her when her phone dropped down the garbage disposal, and when… She was jerked back to reality by his voice.

"But if you need help, I'm not gonna let you sit in this deserted parking lot by yourself," the Mackenzie Falls star added, looking at her with those irresistible sapphire eyes which were barely distinguishable in the dimness. Sonny sighed, resigned to the fact that her car was _not_ about to magically restart and that she'd have to accept Chad Dylan Cooper's offer. "OK, Chad, yes – if you don't mind, can you jump my car?" she asked rhetorically, meeting his gaze.

Chad looked down at Sonny's weary face, her slumped posture, and her listless expression and tried to fight the feeling of sympathy that threatened to overwhelm him. _Poor thing – she looks so tired_, his mind managed to blurt out before Chad inwardly slammed the door on his thoughts. "Let me pull up next to you," he said, jerking his keys out of his pocket and jogging across to his convertible. It even amazed him sometimes how Chad Dylan Cooper could remain in control of a situation while his mind was in a dither.

***********

It was later on in the evening when Sonny finally brought her dilapidated wreck of an automobile to a rest in front of her apartment. Thanks to Chad, she'd been able to jumpstart the engine to where she could make it back home. She reached for her purse, shut the driver's side door, locked her car and slowly walked beneath the jet-black sky towards her apartment.

Once inside, Sonny made her way to her room, and after switching on the light she exhaustedly plopped down on her bed. Although her body was momentarily at rest, her thoughts tumbled about confusedly. She repeated the night's events in her head: Chad's appearance and momentary stroke of compassion, his unusual willingness to help, his relapse back into Chad Dylan Cooper's stereotypical big-headedness, and the awkwardness as they bid each other good night, neither comfortable after their outburst in the cafeteria earlier on that day.

_Why does he do this to me?_ Sonny questioned inwardly, frowning. It seemed as though even after he'd caused her first day at work to be horrendous, he'd tried to make it up to her tonight, leaving her emotions hopelessly tangled. At times she didn't know whether she loved or hated that boy.

Her thoughts were jarred as she felt her phone vibrate in her jeans pocket. She flipped it open and her expression softened as she read the alert on the screen.

_**1 new message from Chad:**_

hey sonny. just making sure u got home ok.

let me know.

- cdc

Although she scolded herself about it, Sonny couldn't help herself as a reluctant grin spread across her face. That one simple text had a rejuvenating effect on her, and she was cheerfully replying before she could even collect her thoughts:

_**Reply:**_

i'm fine and just got home. sounds like somebody cares! ;) haha.

- sonny

She hit "send", sighed contentedly, and reread his original message. All of a sudden, she began texting furiously again. She'd forgotten to add an important part:

_**Reply:**_

oh, and btw thanks for your help, chad. i really appreciate it.

- sonny

Little did she know that on the other side of the city a young man was sitting upright on _his _bed, staring with anticipation at his phone, his face brightening when it buzzed in response. He skimmed over both of his new messages, sighed contentedly, and let himself flop backwards as he sprawled on the bed with a smirk plastered across his face. He exhaled slowly, tossing his phone beside him and clasping his hands beneath his head as he stared up at the ceiling. At least he'd been able to do something _right_ today, even if he had to wait until the very end to do it. He pondered over whether or not he should text something nice in response but eventually decided against it. She'd already convinced herself that he cared about her, and this would be more evidence against him. Besides, the world knew that Chad Dylan Cooper _didn't_ care. That is, unless it had anything to do with a girl from Wisconsin named Sonny Munroe.

* * *

So that's Chapter 4! The next chapter will have some more fun and excitement in the cafeteria as a Mackenzie Falls rivalry resurfaces. Also, you'll discover how Sonny outsmarts Brenda without overtly disobeying her unfair cafeteria system. Get ready for it! :)

Thanks again for reading, and please remember to leave me any comments, constructive criticism, ideas, or general input in a review! I love reading what you guys have to say.

~Victoria L., a.k.a. _**addicted2SWAC**_


	5. The Plan, Part I

**Sonny With a Chance of Cafeteria Work**

Author's note:

So, first of all I want to say I'm extremely sorry for making you guys wait an extra two days! I'd mentioned in the last author's note that I'd be out of town this past weekend, and I didn't get much time to finish this chapter. So I apologize for the late update and want to thank y'all for waiting! Just realize that school is the first priority for me, so I had some homework to catch up on before I could take time to write. ;P

OK, so on to the thank-you's for Chapter 4: Kate-Emma, sonny with a zebra shirt, LilHaven, cecills, DmslilAngel103, DMLVT6963, LadeeBear, sonnycentral, deadheart115, and my anonymous reviewers demi/sterling and Aboogiewoogie – you guys are awesome! You've bumped it up to a total of 33 reviews, and I'm SO grateful for that.

A special thank-you goes to sonnycentral who has been really sweet in welcoming me to FanFiction and reviewing this story. And I'm also very grateful for the support of deadheart115, who is one of my favorite authors on here and one of the reasons I joined FF in the first place! Thanks so much for your sweet messages and review – you rock!

Also, be sure to check out Kate-Emma's 100 Chapter Channy Challenge Response, of which part two has been recently posted! You guys will love her scenarios and will bust out laughing at the classic Chad/Sonny banters. ;) A huge thank-you to Kate for being so very supportive of this story and encouraging me constructive reviews. You're the best, girl!

Recommended Reading:

- Mystery Halloweekend by sonnycentral

- Summer Fades to Fall by deadheart115 (currently on hiatus but still an awesome story!)

- 100 Chapter Channy Challenge Response by Kate-Emma

Alright, so enough of this note and on to Chapter 5! Enjoy…

* * *

**Chapter 5: The Plan, Part I**

Waiting outside in the rain, there was only one individual that was conspicuous amongst the drab colors clustered near the bus stop. Bedecked in a bright red raincoat while twirling a vivid yellow umbrella, a petite brunette stood on her tip-toes to see above the small collection of umbrellas assembled at the corner of the block. She scanned the busy California road in an attempt to catch a glimpse of the city bus which was officially two minutes late.

Sonny brushed her damp chestnut curls away from her face and shifted her weight back to normal. She eyed the small group of businessmen and women in front of her whose gray, navy, and black suits constituted a collage of dreariness that suited the rainy day. Their umbrellas, like their attire, were cold and uninviting compared to her vibrant one, she noticed, while looking upward at her own. She began spinning it once more, occupying herself until her alternate mode of transportation arrived. Yes, Sonny had opted to take the bus this time, her independent spirit shuddering at the mere possibility of having to be beholden to Chad once more should her engine fail again at the studio. She didn't want to put herself or her car at risk, so she'd awakened early that morning to catch the six-thirty bus in order to make it to the studio before her seven o' clock cafeteria shift began.

She began to move forward along with the small group when the bus was spotted approaching and came to a stop with a loud hiss as the brake was applied. Shaking her umbrella out before collapsing it, Sonny boarded the bus and settled back in her seat, watching a lonely raindrop trail down the window and leave a watery trail in its wake.

************

Once at the familiar entrance of Condor Studios, Sonny shook herself out of the doldrums and bustled towards the building with a purpose. She masterfully grasped the glass doors and swung them aside, sailing ahead like the bow of a ship slicing through turgid waters. Her mission was clear: she was determined to make it to work early and labor faultlessly throughout the day to appease Brenda. However, Sonny was just as determined not to let her coworker – or patrons (namely the cast of Mackenzie Falls) – discourage her like they had before. It was the start of a brand new day, and she was going to approach it with an optimistic attitude.

She skipped down the hall in her converse shoes, having forsaken her leather boots after yesterday's duration had taken its toll on her feet. If Brenda was right about anything, it was that fashion definitely _wasn't_ the thing to worry about here in the cafeteria_, _she reflected wryly. Shaking these thoughts from her head, Sonny cheerily burst through the swinging kitchen doors and sang out, "Good morning, Brenda!"

The woman's formidable countenance welcomed her resembling that of the Gorgon herself, although she lacked the power to turn Sonny into stone under her glare. "Is it? Is it _really_?" Brenda intoned, shaking her head while repeating the words that were all too familiar to the brunette's ears. She huffed and waddled around to the oversized commercial oven from which a burned smell was wafting into the kitchen. Sonny looked on in mute dismay as the cafeteria worker pulled tray after tray of overcooked mounds of some unnamed substance from its depths.

"I don't call it a good morning when my celery-prune muffins bake too fast," she complained roughly. "Not to mention the cafeteria didn't reorder enough egg-flavored jello," Brenda ran on, while Sonny looked nauseous and was leaning against the counter with wide eyes.

"Well… that's okay, maybe we can work something else out," she managed to gulp. Sonny gave Brenda a half-smile and tried to take her mind off of the horrible concoctions that were going to be served to unlucky diners this morning. "Here, I can make some real scrambled eggs for ya!" she offered, stepping forward to help. The other woman jutted out a hand to stop her.

"I already tried that," she barked glumly, pointing to a huge bowl filled with a mess of gloopy, undercooked eggs.

"Oh," Sonny acknowledged under her breath, glad she'd already eaten breakfast this morning. "So… what can I help you with?" she asked, subtly changing the subject.

"Well, since you got here so early, I guess you can collect the Mackenzie Falls orders now. I'm gonna go shave," she snapped ungratefully, grabbing her electric razor from the countertop and marching off towards the bathroom.

Sonny let out a huge sigh of relief as Brenda left the room, taking the tension-filled atmosphere along with her. The brunette tied on an apron and – not knowing how she was supposed to gather orders – snatched up a notepad and pen on her way out of the kitchen. Walking briskly to Stage 2, she started to knock on the cast members' doors but stopped when she saw file-holders attached to the outside of the dressing room doors. Inside each clear plastic container was a folded piece of paper with the Condor Studio emblem imprinted on it, so Sonny gathered up all the notes and opened them. Sure enough, each one contained a self-prescribed menu for each cast member. Sonny sighed and rolled her eyes while carrying the orders unwillingly back to the cafeteria. She had half a mind to tear them up, but she knew that such behavior would get her fired. So she began to prepare the meals with Brenda's help until the cafeteria opened.

It wasn't until Sonny was watching Brenda wheel a small cart of silver-covered platters to the Mackenzie Falls table later on that an inspiration came to her. It was such a simple solution to the problem of unfairness that she giggled to herself while thinking about it.

"I'm glad you find my presence so amusing," a voice broke into her thoughts. Sure enough, there was Chad Dylan Cooper, smirking at her from the other side of the buffet with his hands shoved in his pockets.

"Chad." Sonny greeted him while rolling her eyes at his conceited remark. _Is that all he has to say? Even after everything that happened last night? _she wondered, slightly raising her eyebrows.

"Sonny," he grinned smugly, lingering expectantly. "So… where's my breakfast?" Chad shrugged, looking annoyed after she hadn't presented him with his meal in the four long seconds he'd been forced to wait. Nobody _ever_ withheld anything from Chad Dylan Cooper, especially a hungry Chad Dylan Cooper. Four seconds was a record-setting time, and his patience wasn't going to last much longer.

Sonny sighed; he was still the same old demanding Chad Dylan Cooper as before. Disappointed that he hadn't changed at all, Sonny answered with a toss of her head, "I don't know; maybe you should try looking before you speak once in a while." When he still stood there confusedly, she reached over the counter to turn him around by his shoulders and gave him a light push away from the buffet in the opposite direction.

Chad scowled at her over his shoulder and shot back, "It's 'think' before you speak," he said with a "duh" expression on his face. _Good grief_, he thought, _she can't even repeat the phrase without adding in her own words._

"Well, I said 'look', and that's what I meant," she retorted, pursing her lips sassily. Sometimes Chad could be so nit-picky about the smallest things.

"You're not cool enough _or _famous enough to make up your own sayings, Monroe," Chad scoffed, walking back over to face off with her so he wasn't shouting across the room.

"Really, Chad? Really?" she countered with a dramatic smirk.

"Hey, that's _my_ saying, not yours!" he rejoined, popping his collar arrogantly. Sonny had no right to go around overusing his Mackenzie Falls lines like they were common terms!

"Really, Chad? Really?" she laughed again. Chad winced in anger, hearing those classic words meant for the lips of a thespian reverberating from the mouth of a low-class comedian. He opened _his_ mouth in response when she placed her finger on his lips. "The time for talking is over," Sonny whispered with feeling, a mournful look on her face. Chad shivered as her hand rested lightly against his chin, but any trace of a romantic sensation vanished when he felt his nose being thrust violently upward. She'd jerked her finger and roughly tweaked his nose, bursting into a belly laugh as his face turned an angry shade of red.

Chad started to tell her off when a teen gladiator stepped between them, coming up to the buffet to be served his breakfast. Before turning away in defeat, the heartthrob shot Sonny a furious glare before proceeding towards the Mackenzie Falls table where a gourmet breakfast was being served with the grandeur of a palace feast. Sonny flashed him a triumphant smile in response, glad that she'd been victorious in irritating _him_ for a change. She went happily back to work with her mind running a mile a minute as she constructed a daring plan to implement later on in the day.

***********

As soon as Marshall dismissed the So Random cast from morning rehearsal, Sonny sprinted down the hall to the cafeteria. Looking around for any signs of Brenda, she was relieved to see that the woman was managing the buffet and had left the kitchen unattended. The brunette stepped quietly into the room and spotted several platters filled with delectable portions of the finest meats and seafood that would soon be appeasing the taste buds of the Mackenzie Falls cast. Sonny quickly grabbed one of the two serving carts that were parked in the kitchen and loaded the platters onto it, placing the matching covers on top.

She scrounged around the kitchen until she found more platters, onto which she heaped large servings of the cafeteria menu for the day: pickle-and-cheese subs, dried carrot slices, and Brenda's infamous cottage cheese casserole, which was really nothing but cottage cheese… in a casserole dish. Humming delightedly to herself, she topped off the dishes with identical silver covers and transferred them to the second cart. Peeking out through the small window in the kitchen doors, Sonny saw that Tawni, Nico, Grady, and Zora had just been through the buffet line and were about to commence eating their indigestible lunch. _Sonny to the rescue! _she cheered inwardly, wheeling out one of the carts.

Sneaking a glance at Brenda, who was monotonously doling out servings with a sour countenance, Sonny whisked behind the large lady over to the table unbeknownst to the suffering Randoms. She brought the cart to a stop behind them and crept stealthily over to Tawni: "Put your fork down and your hands up!" she commanded in a gravelly threatening voice, causing the blonde to jump in her chair and raise two perfectly manicured hands.

Squeezing her eyes shut in fear, Tawni squeaked, "Alright! But _don't _touch my purse!" Sonny began laughing under her breath, and her castmates joined in mirthfully as they watched Tawni's expression change from horror into that of disgust as she realized the hoax. She twisted around to glare at her co-star who was chuckling behind her chair.

"Sonny," she said in a stilted, bright tone, "although _yo-ou_ may think it's funny to scare people clear out of their spray-tans, _I_ don't!" Tawni finished, her face dropping into a frown, while tossing her head on each enunciated word.

"I'm sorry, Tawn," Sonny said, still smiling broadly, "but I'll make it up to you. Look what you get for lunch!" And with that, she set one of the platters in front of Tawni and removed the cover with a flourish. A mouth-watering smell wafted up as a tender, sizzling steak met Tawni's expectant gaze. Without a word, the blonde took a bite and ungratefully answered, "Finally! Someone understands the gift of pretty!" Sonny rolled her eyes and started serving the others.

She didn't have to wait long for her thanks. Nico and Grady were exulting over their dishes of specialty macaroni-and-cheese and pork chops, and Zora cooed over baked oysters and she-crab soup. Sonny grimaced briefly and wondered which of the Mackenzie Falls cast had ordered the latter meal.

She gathered up all of the silver covers and placed them on the cart. "I've got to get back to work, but enjoy!" she bubbled, starting to roll the cart back to the kitchen. On second thought, Sonny retraced her steps and added a warning to her castmates. "Just don't mention this to anyone, OK? I'll get in major trouble if Brenda finds out!" she whispered, looking behind her to make sure Brenda was out of ear-shot. Sure enough, the lunch lady had no idea of the joyous scene unfolding across the room.

"My Cocoa-Moco-Cocoa lips are sealed," Tawni stated as she finished the last stage of her bite, wipe, and gloss routine.

"Sure thing!" Zora acquiesced, adding, "and I'll make sure these two jokers pipe down too." She surveyed Nico and Grady skeptically as they stuffed their faces obliviously, basking in the meal.

"Thanks!" Sonny said, before dashing back to the kitchen. She'd spotted Portlyn entering the cafeteria and knew that the rest of the Mackenzie Falls cast would be right behind her. The second part of the plan was about to commence.

* * *

Okay, so what did you guys think of Chapter 5? I feel like it's sort of sloppy because I didn't have a lot of time to refine it, but let me know what y'all thought was good or bad about it. Also, if you have any ideas you'd like to shoot my way, feel free to leave them in a message or review. I can't promise that I'll use them for sure, but I definitely am open to others' ideas, and if I end up writing them in the story you'll get the credit!

Thank you guys again for reading and reviewing – it means the world to me.

~Victoria L., a.k.a. addicted2SWAC


	6. The Plan, Part II

**

* * *

**

Sonny With a Chance of Cafeteria Work

Author's note:

First off, I am so, so sorry for the late update! I was going to post this chapter earlier last week, but my laptop died and wouldn't reboot until today. So thanks for your patience!

Again, I want to start off with a HUGE thank-you to all of you guys who took time to review Chapter 5: Kate-Emma for making me smile with talk of happy dances… and of course her great reviews ;), sonnycentral for her continued encouragement of each chapter, deadheart115 for reviewing EVERY SINGLE chapter and being just plain awesome!, and DmslilAngel103 for another very sweet review.

And now on to Chapter 6!

P.S. I experienced a small case of writer's block during this, so I apologize if it's a little dull. You guys set awesome high expectations by your reviews, and I hope I'm still somewhat meeting them! PLEASE feel free to let me know if you ever see OOCness, think the plot's dragging, or have any concerns about my work. I want to make sure my readers are happy! :)

* * *

**Chapter 6: The Plan, Part II**

Once back inside the kitchen, Sonny peeked nervously through the glass slots in the commercial swinging doors. Thankfully, Brenda still hadn't caught on to her scheme and still grumpily stationed at the buffet. The brunette took a deep breath and tightened her clutch on the second serving cart that would be delivered to an eager, hungry Mackenzie Falls cast in just a matter of minutes. _Boy, are they gonna get a __big__ surprise, _Sonny thought gleefully, inwardly rejoicing at the thought of So Random's rivals finally getting their just deserts.

She spied the cast traipsing in, conspicuous in the familiar blue uniforms. Only one member of the cast was missing, and he was the one that Sonny was most looking forward to exasperating. She decided to wait until he arrived; otherwise, her plan wouldn't nearly be as interesting without his reaction.

Soon enough, Chad Dylan Cooper sauntered into the room, taking the seat of honor at the head of the Mackenzie Falls table. Sonny was surprised to see him glance first thing over at the So Random table as if he were looking for someone. Still spying through the window of the kitchen door, she could see a slight frown appear as he turned to face the table, only to twist back around in his seat and scan the cafeteria again. _I wonder who he's waiting for, _she wondered. Her heart whispered: _you!_, but Sonny brushed the possibility aside. She had no time to pine away for Chad Dylan Cooper; there was a plan to execute and Sonny Munroe was sticking to that plan. Anyways, he was probably still irked from their stand-off that morning.

She boldly swung the door aside and emerged pushing the second serving cart ahead with a purpose. She winked at her castmates as they smiled contentedly back at her, satiated with the repast meant for the rival cast. As Sonny approached the table, she was disgusted at how the rest of the cast treated Chad like a deity, silencing their conversation to listen to him brag about his latest feats and overloading him with compliments. Well, for once in his life, Chad Dylan Cooper was going to be treated like a normal human being, Sonny gloated inwardly, continuing towards the elite clique. Starting right now…

"Hi everyone," she chirped brightly, stopping alongside the table. She was met with glares from the entire group… except for one person, that is. His furrowed brow relaxed as the brunette made her appearance, and the corners of his mouth turned up into a slight smile. That smile evolved into a smirk, however, when Chad Dylan Cooper saw that Sonny was there to serve lunch.

He couldn't help himself. "Um, excuse me, ma'am, but could you hurry it up a little bit?" he questioned, feigning ignorance.

She turned to him with a defiant grin and one raised eyebrow. "I'm sorry, sir, but your order is being prepared separately. It'll be ready in a few minutes," she answered, deciding to play along. Sonny methodically served the other cast members first, whisking off each of their covers with a flourish.

Horrified gasps rose from the cast. "What the heck _IS_ this stuff?" "Where're my crab cakes?" "Uh… this is definitely not what I ordered!" The usual revolting cafeteria lunch was consistently placed in front of the Mackenzie Falls members.

Sonny explained cheerily while continuing to unload the platters, "Oh, didn't you see the menu for today? It's right up there against the counter." She laughed at their angry expressions. "Oh, and don't be afraid to ask for seconds!" Meanwhile, Chad watched the proceedings with amusement, oblivious to the suffering of his castmates. Glancing over to see his reaction, Sonny added, "And your order will be ready in a minute."

"See, you guys, this is what happens when you're only _supporting_ characters of a show. Now, if you were the _star_ – like me –" and with that he popped his collar and shrugged arrogantly "- Sonny'd be too scared to serve you that junk," Chad smirked. "Right, Sonny?" he probed, 99.9% certain that Sonny would never have the nerve to stand up to him like that. However, that seemingly insignificant .01% chance of her unpredictability was enough to put a slight shadow of fear in his eyes.

Sonny joined with him with a forced, throaty laugh. "You're right, Chad, you definitely deserve better than that!"

"Good." He shook off the un-Chad-like thoughts and added authoritatively, "Now hurry up and get it to me; I'm starving!" With that, the heartthrob sunk back into his chair with folded arms, his demeanor resembling that of an ancient pharaoh

Seven long minutes later, she reappeared through the kitchen doors, with one single silver platter exhibited on the serving cart. Sonny's heart began to pump excitedly as the grand finale to her plan was about to commence. With great pomp, she proceeded toward an extremely annoyed Chad who was presiding over the congregation of grumpy Mackenzie Falls actors and actresses.

"Here you go, sir," Sonny mimicked the tone of a servile maid whilst presenting him with his polished silver platter. Chad licked his lips expectantly as her hand hovered over the domed top.

***********

"Voila!" she exclaimed, and the cover was thrown off to reveal a pickle-and-cheese sub, with the letters "CDC" scrawled grandly in mustard on the top of the sandwich. In fact, the entire meal was identical to his castmates' except for a few sprigs of greenery which Sonny had added to spruce up the presentation in an artistic stroke of genius.

Chad glowered menacingly up at her as the rest of the table started to snicker at his predicament. _No one pokes fun at Chad Dylan Cooper, __especially_ _not in a crowded cafeteria!_ his pride demanded, and the glare darkened as Sonny burst into a belly laugh along with them.

However, her mirth began to falter when she observed Chad's ominous expression, and Sonny decided that it would be wise to flee while she had the opportunity. So she wheeled the cart sharply around and started to beat a fast retreat to the kitchen. The brunette was almost at the swinging doors when she was arrested by a hand grabbing her arm.

"What's going on?" a sharp voice demanded, swiveling her around. The unexpected face of Brenda greeted her, although Sonny had been counting on the fact that Chad would be the one chasing after her. She noticed that the lunch lady was in the middle of cleaning up the now abandoned So Random table, and a sense of dread suddenly swam over her.

"Um… _well_… I was just serving lunch to Mackenzie Falls," Sonny answered slowly, hoping that she wouldn't incriminate herself by exposing the real mischief she had caused.

"Oh, really?" Brenda questioned suspiciously. Her brows were contracted in the classic formidable frown, and Sonny had a feeling that whatever was coming next wasn't going to be pretty. "Then maybe you can explain why _this_ was found on your castmates' table!" she explained triumphantly, shoving a dish with the ravaged remains of a steak under Sonny's nose.

_Here goes my job…_ Sonny thought, her mind scrambling for an excuse. With Brenda's cold, steely eyes boring through her own and Chad's accusing blue ones following suit, Sonny was…

"Wait, Chad – what do you want?" She asked confusedly, having been oblivious to his arrival during the conversation. The last thing she needed was for the angry teen idol to barge in and confirm that she'd been meddling with the meals without authorization.

"Like my good friend Brenda," Chad plastered on an artificial smile and patted the stout lady sympathetically on the shoulder, "I'm looking for answers." Now Sonny had both of them on her case. Luckily, Brenda was distracted by the superstar's touch. With the dreamiest look she could muster, the woman looked up at Chad admiringly.

"Mr. Cooper, if you don't mind my asking, how was your meal today?" she asked fawningly.

"Well, that's one of the reasons I came over here," Chad responded, although his eyes were fixed coolly on Sonny the entire time. "You see, instead of my usual meal, the weirdest thing happened today," he continued, his voice getting higher in mock surprise. "It appears that there's been a little bit of funny business going on behind your back, Brenda," he whispered loudly, looking deliberately at the veteran cafeteria worker, although his remark was meant especially for Sonny's ears. He was about to continue when a glance directed towards the girl revealed her eyes widening fearfully, silently pleading with him not to give away the secret.

There was something in that glance that stopped Chad Dylan Cooper straight in his tracks. He knew he had every right to blow the whistle on Sonny's prank, but the way her soft chocolate eyes were imploring him for help was irresistible. Sonny, on the other hand, knew that this was her only hope for keeping the job. Even though she disliked working in the cafeteria, it was her sole method of income, and she could not afford to lose this chance to earn enough for a new car. She poured all of her fears into that one earnest glance, praying that somehow her rival would relent. Thankfully, Chad was momentarily mesmerized by her gaze before bringing himself back down to earth with a jolt. "Yeah, so, anyways… uh, I need to have a little talk with Sonny. Mind if I steal her away from work for a sec?" he asked, gathering up all of his charm and shooting Brenda the most disarming smile.

"Why not, Mr. Cooper? Go right ahead," she acquiesced, but not before mumbling aside in a low tone to Sonny, "I'll deal with you later."

Looking up gratefully at Chad, Sonny saw his lips pursed in a firm line as he took her arm possessively. Walking briskly back to the kitchen and leaving Brenda to clean the tables alone, she let him lead her through the kitchen doors where he suddenly released her.

With a huge sigh of relief, she brought her eyes up to meet his. "Oh my gosh, Chad – thank you _so_ much for helping me out! I thought that was the end for me," Sonny added comically with a wry grin, gesturing with her hand across her neck in a cutting motion. "You were just so sweet, and I don't know what I would have done-"

"Ah, ah, ah – you can stop there," Chad cut in with a smirk. "Although I know you'd love to go on praising my Chadness, you don't really think I would dash in heroically and save you for fun, do you?" he asked, slightly exaggerating his role in the whole scenario. "Because you're mistaken if that's what you're thinking." He straightened his tie portentously and gave her a patronizing look.

Sonny stared at him quizzically. "I should have known you weren't in it because you cared," she murmured under her breath, disappointed.

"Hey, I beg to differ!" Chad exclaimed. "If I wouldn't have cared, I would've ratted on you and let you lose your job, Missy," he frowned disapprovingly. "You should try being thankful. But you're not getting off the hook that easy. You still owe me for giving me that junk that you call food for lunch. You're going to serve as my personal assistant for the rest of today, and that means you are to report to me immediately if I should need anything."

Sonny's eyes widened as she realized how Chad had her backed into a corner. There was no getting out of this – the choice was either to surrender to Chad's ultimatum or lose her job, and this time she'd have to go with the lesser of the two evils. She nodded in defeat. "Whatever, Chad – but I can't miss work or rehearsal for this, you understand?" she rejoined firmly, drawing herself up to her full height.

Chad smiled inwardly as he looked down at her. This was the Sonny he found hard to resist; her fiery personality was always a match for his demanding nature, and she wasn't afraid to stand up to him… literally. Even now she was standing tall, her chin upturned as she faced him, although he succeeded her in height by about a foot.

"Alright, starting now… I need something _edible_ for lunch because I'm extremely malnourished, so get moving," Chad ordered, obviously enjoying himself.

"Cha-ad," Sonny whined, "Not now! I'm in the middle of my lunch shift!"

"Oh, so that's your problem… well, there's an easy way to fix that," he countered, striding towards the door. Sonny watched him curiously through the small window as he walked up to Brenda. He was in a deep discussion with her for a few minutes before returning jubilantly. "She said you'd better comply with anything I want unless you want trouble from her," Chad reported. Somehow Sonny figured that the conversation probably didn't sound exactly like that, but she wasn't taking chances this time.

She watched as he pulled a stool up to one of the immaculate, gleaming counters and rested his elbows on it, staring expectantly at her. It was going to be a long day…

* * *

Thanks for reading! And remember to review... :)

~Victoria L.


	7. Brainstorming

**Sonny With a Chance of Cafeteria Work**

Author's note:

Alrighty, so from here on out I'll try to keep the beginning author's note as short as possible so you guys can get to the meat of the story. ;) I'm going to start saving personal dedications for the very last chapter, but please know that I really do appreciate each and every one of your reviews! You guys are the best.

Enjoy Chapter 7!

* * *

**Chapter 7: Brainstorming**

"Just eat it!" Sonny pleaded in frustration. Never in her entire life had she encountered a more belligerent human being than the one now occupying the stool across from her. Only half-an-hour had elapsed since Sonny had been enlisted as Chad Dylan Cooper's personal assistant against her will, and things were not going well. Anyone entering the kitchen at that very moment would have witnessed a frazzled brunette trying to reason with the obstinate star of America's number one teen drama show – who was currently behaving with the antics of a three-year-old.

"No." Chad thundered the word definitively. He shook his head adamantly and crossed his arms, settling back as if he were a monarch reigning supreme from his throne.

"Chad, you're being _absolutely_ impossible. Would you just eat it and be happy?" Sonny questioned wearily, once more offering him a paper plate that contained a sandwich and an apple.

"No."

"Uggh! Why do you have to make everything so hard?" She slammed the plate back down on the countertop and rested her head in her hands while leaning over the counter. The obvious reason for his refusal, Chad had explained to her not five minutes ago, was that she had forgotten to slip on plastic gloves before touching his food. And Chad Dylan Cooper didn't _do_ germs. He reminded her yet again:

"Look, Sonny, I can't afford to miss a filming of Mackenzie Falls in the event that I contract some _deadly_ disease like…," here he paused for dramatic effect, "…like the West Nile virus," Chad finished off his brief soliloquy and frowned solemnly with the air of a respected sage. "Or malaria," he added for good measure, feeling generous enough to enlighten his rival on the dangers of unsanitary food preparation.

Unfortunately, the dramatization had no effect on sensible Sonny. "Chad," she scoffed, "You can only get that sort of thing from mosquitoes, you know." She looked at him strangely, wondering how a renowned star like Chad Dylan Cooper could be such a simpleton sometimes.

He glanced across at her in momentary shock, before sliding off of his stool and striding pompously around the counter to where Sonny was standing. At times like these, he knew he could use his height as an advantage to winning the coming argument.

"How do you know that those diseases are caused by mosquitoes?" Chad began, rounding the corner to face off with her. He executed a semi-intimidation tactic by towering over her and narrowing his eyes to a steely glint.

"How did you _not_ know that they are?" Sonny countered, unfazed.

"W-well, I never said I didn't," he rejoined with a slight toss of his head, somewhat taken aback by the fact that his first technique hadn't succeeded. Chad quickly resorted to method number two: reverse psychology. "Besides, I just threw that in to make sure you were paying attention," he finished strongly, certain that Sonny had nothing on him this time around.

But the brunette was not to be outdone. "Sure. Just keep telling that to yourself, Chad," she responded, obviously unimpressed. She turned away from him but was stopped by a light touch on her shoulder.

_Time to bring out the big guns_, Chad mused, after his second time around hadn't worked either. The teen heartthrob was reluctant to use his best and most powerful weapon against Sonny, but he recognized that it was the only thing to be done to rescue his pride. He knew full well that he had no right to play on Sonny's emotions and that phase three would decrease his chance of any friendly relationship with her, but he couldn't afford to lose an argument to a Random. Especially not Sonny Munroe, the girl who'd already outsmarted him twice in one day.

Moving in towards Sonny, Chad looked down at his feet and shuffled them nervously. When he finally brought his eyes up to meet hers, he observed a slightly confused Sonny watching his every move. "Look, Sonny…" he trailed off, mesmerizing her with his trademark gaze. "I don't see why we have to fight over this, do you?" Chad let his eyes work their magic while he heaved a penitent sigh, reaching over to tuck a wayward curl back into her hairnet.

His proximity sent tingles down Sonny's spine, and she uncrossed her arms and rested one hand on the soft countertop for support. She tried to summon up every bad memory she could think of, reminding herself of all of Chad's flaws… but somehow Sonny found it impossible to fight the feeling that was threatening to drown out any rationality she possessed at the moment. As much as she hated to admit it, Sonny Munroe was weakening.

As Chad's fingers left her hair, she looked down, blushing profusely. "No, I don't guess we have to," she responded shakily, exhaling quickly. "In fact, it's just plain stupid to keep arguing when we both should be getting to work," she added, glancing over at the clock before turning her attention back to Chad.

He nodded and took her free hand between his own, "I thought you'd come around to see things my way," he grinned. Then, with a wink, he released her and said, "So why don't you get to work making something _sanitary _for me to eat." Chad smirked as Sonny's jaw dropped, the realization that the past minute had merely been a ploy suddenly flooding over her.

"And you may want to pay more attention to what you're leaning against," he added smugly. Sonny looked down, only to see that in her daze she'd placed her hand on the paper plate, smack dab in the middle of Chad's unwanted sandwich. "So whenever you're done cleaning yourself up, just send my lunch over to my dressing room, okay?" With a click of his fingers, he turned on his heel authoritatively and strutted out of the kitchen, leaving Sonny fuming behind him with a peanut-butter-and-jelly covered hand.

***************

Meanwhile, four individuals were nervously staring at the prop house doorway. Judging from the anxious looks on their faces, it appeared as though they were waiting for someone of utmost importance –such as the president of the United States – to enter the room any moment. Tawni was seated on the far end of the couch, twirling one of her blonde locks while sneaking a peek at her iPhone every few seconds to check the time. Grady occupied the other end while Nico was positioned on the back of the couch with his feet in between his castmates' bodies. He was expertly tossing his familiar black hat up into the air and catching it on a single finger, a feat he'd been performing for all of the twenty-five minutes the cast had been waiting. In fact, even though he had established a remarkably speedy rhythm at this point in time, Nico was unaware that his hat was still airborne, his senses having become numb by so much repetition.

The youngest of the group was covertly eyeing the doorway under cover of her sarcophagus. All that could be seen of Zora was… well, nothing. She'd completely enclosed herself in her eerie hideout, utilizing a small peephole she'd drilled for the very purpose of spying on unfortunate visitors. Indeed, the only way her castmates knew she was even alive was by her consistent opening of the door and the following query "Where is she?" every few minutes. When Zora was met each time with three blank stares, she'd sigh with frustration and retire sulkily back into her hiding place.

After what seemed like hours of waiting, the pounding of feet was heard echoing down the studio hall. Suddenly, a loud crashing sound erupted along with a slight scream, causing Tawni's curl to fall lifelessly back into place, Nico's hat to tumble unnoticed to the floor, Grady's heartbeat to increase radically, and Zora's sarcophagus door to fly open.

A breathless, apologetic laugh followed from outside of the prop house. "I'm sorry, Josh! I didn't mean to bowl you over. Here, let me help…" Scurrying ensued along with the sound of what must have been envelopes being tossed back into the mail cart.

Finally, Sonny burst into view.

Four shouts of "Sonny!" greeted her, preceding raucous chatter and an abundance of questions thrown relentlessly at her as they crowded around their newly-arrived member. Sonny held her hands up for silence.

"Look guys, I'm really sorry I'm late – I just got stuck in the cafeteria doing some extra work," she explained, hoping for sympathetic reactions from the four. What came next was completely unexpected.

"Sonny!" Tawni gasped dramatically, ogling her castmate. "What _happened_ to your hair?" Sonny shot a quizzical look at the blonde who was currently staring at her head. In sudden recognition, she reached up sheepishly to yank off a hairnet that had become unfastened and was behaving quite unfashionably with a mind of its own.

"Thanks, Tawn," Sonny grinned, rolling her eyes at the urgency with which her friend had confronted her. Thankfully, the trivial remark seemed to have shifted the focus away from her tardiness. Turning to the others who had taken seats on the couch, she asked, "So what's up?"

"Weellll…" Tawni began again, clapping her hands forcefully on the shoulders of Grady and Nico who were occupying the spaces beside her, "These two have got us all in a lot of trouble. You know that stupid sketch that they came up with? The one about the country bumpkins?" Here Sonny nodded, slightly confused. "Yeah, well Marshall threw it out. So now thanks to their lame sketch-writing skills we have exactly forty-eight hours to come up with a new one to perform on Saturday night!" The blonde tightened her grip on the boys' shoulders, eliciting winces and yelps of pain from the two victims.

"Oh, come on, Tawn," Sonny chirped brightly. "That's not so bad! After all, we've come up with last-minute sketches before. And, ya know what they say – five heads are better than one!" she finished enthusiastically, causing hope to dawn on both Nico and Grady's faces.

Tawni and Zora, however, were not so easily convinced. "That's not even the saying, Sonny," Zora announced dryly. "It's _two_ heads are better than one. In this case, though, Nico and Grady's heads put together are not better than one," she added, directing a glare towards them.

"I thought the saying was, 'Great minds think alike'," Tawni countered with a furrowed brow. She shrugged before staring down at her perfectly manicured nails in boredom.

Nico and Grady were not to be excluded, however. "Well, _I_ thought it was something about… the more cooks in the kitchen, the better!" Grady piped up, only to be reprimanded by Nico who offered his own two cents. "No, that was "If you can't stand the heat, get out of the kitchen'," he added with a look of superior wisdom.

"Alright, alright, you guys!" Sonny interrupted, trying to return to the real matter of importance at hand before her castmates became too engrossed in the meaningless discussion. "So it doesn't really matter _what_ the saying is, let's just start brainstorming for a new sketch, okay?" They all nodded reluctantly in agreement and were soon lost in intense concentration. Soft mutters and unintelligible exclamations were uttered every once in a while as one of the So Random stars would light upon an idea.

"Ooohh! I have one!" Zora exclaimed. "We could have a scene in an animal morgue. And I could be embalming, say… a giraffe! That could be Nico or Grady. And while I'm cutting one of them open…" At this point in the plot Tawni tightly covered her ears with a small squeal, to which Zora replied with a disgusted smirk and then continued on: "… one of the dead giraffes lying around – that could be you, Sonny – could be not _really _dead and could start to move around and stuff, and then me and my assistant – that could be you, Tawni – could get freaked out, and the giraffe could chase us around, and then…" Zora's narrative was quickly nipped in the bud by exclamations from the cast.

"I am _NOT_ going to be cut open by you, Zora!" Nico and Grady exclaimed simultaneously with several shudders.

"Ew! That is the most disgusting idea I've ever heard," Tawni interjected.

"Sorry, Zora, but we have to keep this appropriate for little kids, remember?" Sonny reminded her overzealous fellow comedienne. She glanced over at Tawni, and both of them exchanged alarmed looks.

Once again silence pervaded the prop house as the five youths relapsed into thinking. It wasn't long before Nico spoke up: "Okay, I've got something. What if Grady and I play two guys who are desperate for dates, and we keep getting rejected by all of these girls." He paused as Grady caught his eye.

"That's getting personal," his close friend warned before letting him continue. "Yeah, so anyways a wizard or somebody, like Zora, comes along and grants their wish and they each get hot dates - I guess we'd have to settle for Sonny and Tawni – and then there's a happy ending!" Nico finished, smiling in a daze at the mere thought of actually getting a hot date, something that he'd never been able to achieve thus far. He was soon shaken out of his dreamland, however, by a resounding slap on the back of the head, courtesy of Tawni.

"What do you mean, "settle" for us?" She interrogated Nico indignantly as he favored the area of his anatomy that was now stinging. "You do not "settle" for Tawni Hart!" she exclaimed, tossing her hair in with an injured air. "You would be darn lucky to ever get a date with me, and that's something that would never happen in this lifetime!" The blonde huffed and crossed her arms.

"Okay, then!" Sonny intervened before Nico's suggestion was further martyred at the proverbial stake under Tawni's judgment. _We're never going to get anywhere with this_, she sighed inwardly, weary of the lack of inspiration and resulting criticism that was rampant among her castmates. They all sunk deep into thought until a loud ringing blared through the stillness, startling the five teens.

Sonny traced the sound to her jeans pocket and pulled out her phone. Looking at the screen, she grudgingly answered the call with a blunt "What do you want, Chad?"

Her four castmates were suddenly jerked from their reverie and were all ears as they listened to the one-sided conversation being held amongst them. "What's your point? I can answer my phone any way I want!" Sonny responded irritably. "No, I'm not a diva! Look here, Chad – if you called just to pick a fight, I don't have time right now, okay? So just-" She was cut off by the voice on the other end. Silence ensued for a while, and the So Random cast watched as Sonny's face was slightly transfixed with annoyance. "Okay, okay – I'll be over there shortly. You'd better keep your promise not to tell, though, or I'll be on your case," she warned, before hanging up.

With a sigh, Sonny related the gist of the conversation to her curious friends. "That was Chad; he needs me to do some things for him, so I'm gonna have to cut out in a few minutes," she informed them hesitantly.

"Since when did you start agreeing to do things for _Chad_?" Tawni asked, mildly confounded.

Sonny glanced at all of them, before reluctantly answering the question. "Well, the truth is, I sort of got in trouble for giving you guys special treatment for lunch today." A rousing chorus of sympathetic gasps interrupted her. "No, I'm not in trouble with Brenda. You see, Chad knows about the whole thing and is blackmailing me into being his personal assistant for the rest of the day. So now I have to slave away patiently like a veritable Cinderella while he has fun ordering me around." She stopped with a thoughtful frown as an idea came to her. "Hey, I just thought of something!" Sonny exclaimed, her face lighting up with excitement. "What if we did a sketch based on Cinderella, with a few tweaks here and there? You know, I could be Cinderella, Tawni could be the fairy godmother while Zora plays the stepmother and one of you boys could be a stepsister…"

"Ooohhh, let me be the stepsister!" Grady pleaded earnestly. Sonny eyed him strangely as he continued. "I've always wanted to play a girl. I mean, I never was able to finish that "Check-It-Out Girls" sketch with Nico, so this is my chance to shine!" He gestured wildly with his hands, meriting laughs from his castmates.

"And I… could be the prince!" Nico sighed dreamily, suddenly struck by the thought that girls across the nation would be able to see him in the role of Prince Charming, which could lead to future dates.

"Yeah! This could be really good, guys! All we'd have to do is throw in some funny twists and we'd have a perfect sketch," Sonny added brightly.

"Of course it's going to be perfect if I'm the fairy godmother," Tawni stated, as if it was the most obvious conclusion in the world.

Sonny's phone rang again. "Yes, Chad? Alright, alright… I'm coming!" She turned to her friends. "I really have to go now, guys, but you can start writing it without me. Who would have ever thought that Chad would be the inspiration for our next sketch?" she laughed humorously. She skipped merrily out of the prop house in good spirits until she arrived in front of Chad Dylan Cooper's renowned dressing room. Surprisingly, the door flew open before the brunette even had a chance to knock.

"I knew it was you," Chad smirked while gesturing for her to enter. "I could hear you thumping all the way from Stage 3," he added with a wry grin.

Sonny rolled her eyes but grinned back at him. Try as she might, she couldn't stay mad at Chad Dylan Cooper for long.

* * *

Alright, so that was my longest chapter yet! A few notes:

- I'm sorry for the sloppiness of this, I finished it late last night and my brain was fried, so I do apologize.

- This had a considerably larger amount of dialogue and less descriptions due to the factor above, so let me know what you guys think of it. If I'd had more time to write, I would have added in more descriptions and refined this piece a little bit more, but I didn't want to make y'all wait any longer! :/

- I will say that I am currently in a musical performance, and the shows and big dress rehearsals are coming up these next few weeks, so updates may be a slower than usual. I will try to at least leave a note on my profile to let you guys know what's going on and when to expect new chapters if I don't update soon. Just know I'm not giving up on this story; there're other things that are taking up more time than usual!

Thanks again for being such awesome readers and reviewers! And please do review – unfortunately the number of reviews has decreased dramatically per chapter, so I would definitely welcome constructive criticism if you guys aren't satisfied with this story. I'd love to get some input on it! :)

~Victoria L.


	8. Blackmailing

**Sonny With a Chance of Cafeteria Work**

Author's note:

Hey everybody! I want to sincerely apologize for the length of time between this update and my last one. :( I've been on hiatus on account of a musical performance I was cast in as well as final exams and the holidays. I know it's still no excuse for the lack of updates, so I'm very sorry! To make amends, I wrote a record-long chapter to make up for it. ;) I've finally overcome my busy schedule and writer's block and am on my way to finishing the story. :D Speaking of which, by the way, there will probably be anywhere from four to six chapters left of this. I have a brief outline, but so far the story has kind of written itself no matter how I plan ahead, so I'm not quite sure how long it will be. ;)

Recommended author: _**Mlle. Madeline**_; she has absolutely wonderful masterpieces! I love her hilarious style, so be sure to check out her profile and stories.

And as a final note, can I just say I am PUMPED for the new season of SWAC!!! I can't wait to see all the awesome episodes!! :D And let's keep our fingers crossed for lots of Channy. ;)

Alright, without further adieu, enjoy Chapter 8!

* * *

**Chapter 8: Blackmailing**

Still smiling down at her, Chad couldn't help but think how unbelievably lovable Sonny Munroe was. There she was: forced to be his personal assistant for a day, jerked out of rehearsal, and badgered by him within an inch of her life, yet her get-up-and-go spirit still hadn't vanished. For a nanosecond, the possibility of just letting her off easy this time lingered in his mind. Would it really matter just this once if he brushed their rivalry aside for the rest of the day? After all, Chad knew Sonny had enough on her plate between scrounging up enough money for another car, dealing with Brenda, and continuing her work at So Random all at the same time. Maybe he should just send her back to the prop house…

"Are you going to let me in?" Sonny asked impatiently, breaking into his thoughts in the usual way. Her expression was slightly puzzled as she wondered why the heartthrob had wasted a good full minute of his precious time to stand in the hall grinning at her. Chad cleared his throat, shaking himself out of his daze. _Come on, man, what is wrong with you? _He silently reprimanded himself. _You're turning into a complete sap anymore around Sonny_. He'd almost softened up to Sonny Monroe, _almost_ let her win this mind game they were so clever at playing… well, not anymore. There was just one spot for first place and he'd be the one to claim it. The only way to prevent the unacceptable vulnerability that had been creeping silently upon him was to draw back into the shell of Chad Dylan Cooper, haughty teen idol and TV star.

So he replied with a self-confident smirk: "Why, are you anxious to be alone with _the_ Chad Dylan Cooper?" Chad waggled his eyebrows coyly, but his advances were greeted with a sarcastic huff as Sonny rolled her eyes and crossed her arms.

"I'll take that as a yes," he responded with a laugh. "After all, it's not everyday I give a girl access to my private dressing room," Chad continued slyly, carefully studying the girl in front of him for any reaction. No response.

Seeing that Sonny was still not fazed by his lame flirting attempts, he decided to move on.

Chad swung his ornate dressing room doors open as if to allow Sonny entrance to the grandeur of the Buckingham Palace. Sonny bit back a laugh at all the unnecessary pomp and proceeded to survey her surroundings. Although it wasn't quite as overwhelmingly magnificent as Chad was making it out to be, she was still amazed at the huge expanse and the expensive décor displayed prominently around the room.

A small glittering chandelier hung daintily from the ceiling, the bright light catching the jewels and casting tiny shimmering shadows on the walls. Underneath it were two comfortable-looking oak-framed armchairs that were embossed with meticulous designs, their plush upholstery beckoning almost audibly for Sonny to rest on them. She inhaled and the smell of fresh greenery floated in as she saw several plants flourishing on a small glass table between the chairs, some sprouting up in vases on Chad's own vanity table. Similar to the dressing room Sonny and Tawni shared, two smaller chambers flanked either side of the space. The entrance to the first was covered by a prim silver drape, which Sonny assumed to be his closet; the second, accessed by solid double-doors and labeled with the Cooper family crest, was none other than Chad Dylan Cooper's renowned bathroom.

For a split second, Sonny Munroe had to admit to feeling a tiny spark of jealousy ignite within her. She tried to remain expressionless, but all the same it was difficult to keep from coveting Chad's lovely possessions. _All these beautiful things have practically been handed to this guy on a silver platter just because of his looks! _

"Is that what you think?" Chad turned on her suddenly from where he had been standing in the doorway of his room. Sonny froze. Had she just spoken her thoughts aloud?

"I-Is that w-what I think about what?" she countered slowly, unsure of what to do. Sonny couldn't help but notice the injured frown that Chad was trying to dismiss from his countenance.

"That I have all this stuff _just_ because of my looks? Really, Sonny? Really?" he crossed his arms and looked away. There was a glimmer of something she'd never seen before in those sapphire eyes. Something that hinted that underneath his heart of stone, the great Chad Dylan Cooper had a soft spot that either could be nourished or squelched by her influence alone.

All at once, Sonny felt ashamed. What right did she have to assume that everything had been a downhill slope for Chad? In fact, little did she know that the case was just the opposite. It had been a difficult journey to stardom for the young man, filled with the ever-critical press, directors who were constantly pushing him towards unhealthy compromises, and friends who'd pledged their loyalty but abandoned him after they'd mooched off of his new-found popularity and wealth.

"Chad, I'm sorry," she said softly, sincerely. The slight catch in her voice caused the King of Drama himself to relent and cast his gaze down upon her. The heartfelt look he found within her eyes was so touching that he couldn't help but forgive her. In fact, if he hadn't been currently resigned to hiding behind the façade of Chad Dylan Cooper, he'd have probably attacked her in a bear hug already. But that would have to wait…

"Well, er… don't worry about it," Chad responded, trying to lighten up the mood. A faint smile lit across his face as he realized how he could turn this whole melancholy conversation around. "Besides, I always knew you were a sucker for my looks," he added smugly, with a glint of fun in his eyes.

Sonny caught that look and started to grin. It was miraculous how they could turn from enemies to friends in mere seconds. "Yeah right. Keep on dreamin', Cooper," she retorted. "The only time you've ever been good-looking was at your birthday party when your face was half-covered with cake." She gave one of her signature belly-laughs before adding mirthfully, "And that's a compliment!"

Chad gasped in mock surprise and held his hand dramatically to his heart. "Ouch, Munroe, that's getting personal. Everyone knows this face is the hottest on the planet, _even_ when it's being concealed by cake." He grinned self-assuredly at her before his glance rested on a gargantuan cardboard box that was placed up against the wall. All at once the real reason why he'd called Sonny over in the first place came flooding back. He frowned regretfully. It was time to get to work, and what he was about to do wouldn't be easy for him at all – or for Sonny.

***********

Meanwhile, back in the kitchen, Brenda was methodically ridding the half-full stainless steel chafing dishes of their revolting contents and cleaning them to be used later on that evening. She grunted as she scraped the remains of burnt cottage cheese casserole into the large retail garbage can. _If only that Sonny girl was here to help with the "dirty work"_, she mused. Speaking of that Sonny girl, she'd been nothing but trouble since the day she'd set foot in the cafeteria. Not only had she challenged Brenda's time-tested partial methods, but she'd been carrying out seditious acts right behind the veteran cafeteria worker's back. Brenda wanted more than anything to give Sonny the pink slip, so to speak, and rid the cafeteria of her reformist presence for good.

The worst part about it was that Sonny Munroe was currently experiencing the favor of the venerated Chad Dylan Cooper, for reasons unbeknownst to Brenda… and in fact, the rest of Condor Studios. It would be like walking on eggshells to try to fire the girl without reaping the displeasure of the TV star and ruining her good standing with the Mackenzie Falls cast she'd built up over the last ten years.

In truth, the only way for Sonny Munroe to be fired without any suspicion falling on Brenda was to manipulate a situation where the girl would be forced to break one of the requirements the woman had name from the start. Thinking back to her conversation with Marshall, Brenda was beginning to despair that she'd ever be able to get rid of Sonny until a brilliant idea lit upon her.

One of the conditions for termination had been that Sonny must never miss a day of work for any reason whatsoever. But what if the girl would happen to suddenly fall sick and be unable to come to the cafeteria? Brenda would have no choice but to fire her for such an infringement. She needed to ensure that Sonny would catch some sort of illness, enough to keep her away for at least a day.

Brenda glanced across the cafeteria to some sliced raw ham that had been left there from the day before. It had been too old to serve for yesterday's meal, so she'd set it out to be disposed of later. Picking up a slice of the slimy, smelly meat, she crept over to the lunchbox Sonny always placed on her shelf in the corner of the room. Inside was a neatly-packed dinner, including a sandwich. Brenda sneakily slid the intruder in between the slices of bread, arranged everything just as it was, and continued on with her work, a victorious sneer stretching over her face.

If nothing else, that rotten ham would serve as a little food poisoning – nothing too violent, but enough to force that Sonny girl to stay home with a stomach-ache for half a day. Brenda gave herself a mental pat on the back for her ingenious idea. Now her reign in the cafeteria would be unquestioned, and things could go back to the way they were to start with.

***********

Back in Chad's dressing room, Sonny Munroe was currently being forced to do the most idiotic thing she'd ever done in her lifetime for the most idiotic person she'd ever met. She gritted her teeth with disgust and looked down at the neatly handwritten list she was in the process of composing, shaking the writer's cramp out of her right hand. The first few lines read:

_1. You have great hair._

_2. You should marry me._

_3. You're ten times cuter than Zac Efron._

_4. Your acting's awesome…_

And so on and so on. She'd unwillingly written over 200 short sentences about the great Chad Dylan Cooper, many of them saying the exact same thing in different words. Sonny thought back to just an hour ago when he'd first announced his real purpose in calling her over from the prop house. He'd led the way to an oversized refrigerator box and ripped it open vigorously with his bare hands. Sonny had been momentarily impressed at this enormous feat of strength, but those thoughts had been overcome with deep, deep hatred as he began to explain her role in the endeavor.

Her conversation with the universal god of the "tween screen", as Chad Dylan Cooper had so modestly termed himself, had been a disagreeable one.

"This," Chad had explained as he reached through a jagged hole into the box and produced a handful of letters, "is called fan mail." He'd assumed the air of a kindergarten teacher, glancing emphatically at her to make sure his point was understood.

"Yeah… what about it?" Sonny had rejoined slowly, not quite comprehending the importance Chad was placing on the whole situation. She'd been in Hollywood scene for almost a year now and knew very well what fan mail was, what it looked like, and what to do with it.

"I'm just making sure you know what it is, since you've probably never seen anything like it before." Amazingly, he had still kept a straight face. Sonny would have loved to have slapped that face clear across the room, but instead she practiced restraint.

"Haha, very funny, Chad," she'd said, throwing her hands up in mock hilarity as she glared back at him. "For your information, I get a box that exact same size every week, just like you do," she retorted, hoping to provide solid proof that they were equals, regardless of the rivalry between their shows.

"Oh, no, this is just today's mail," Chad had shrugged indifferently. "That's why I need you. I'm so behind with all of this, so you're going to…" He'd been cut off by Sonny.

"Don't you have paid help to read through and organize this stuff?" Sonny had reminded him, her brow wrinkled in confusion.

"No! Don't you know that Chad Dylan Cooper personally reads every single fan letter he receives?" Chad had widened his eyes at her, acting as if that fact was the most widely-known in the world. She'd stared back at him disbelievingly.

"Just kidding," he'd grinned smugly. "That's what I _claim_ to do, so the easiest way for me to keep my word without having to read through all this junk is for _you_ to help me."

"What? No, Chad, I am NOT about to help you lie to the world and disappoint your fans at the same time! What kind of person do you think I am?" Sonny had shaken her head disgustedly, turning on her heel and reaching for the doorknob of his dressing room.

Somehow Chad had been too fast for her. His tall frame blocked her exit and he'd replied calmly and quietly, "I think you'd better stay here, Sonny." He'd looked gravely in her eyes, and in that moment she'd remembered their agreement in the kitchen and his power to blackmail her. And she desperately needed that job, which was her only means to getting a new car.

So she'd faltered under his gaze and as a result agreed to help him carry out his idiotic plan. Simply put, Sonny was to read through a large chunk of his letters and distill each one into a single sentence, and then list them together for him to read later. That way, his vow to the press would remain unbroken because he _was_ reading a miniscule portion of each individual message, but at the same time he wouldn't have to interrupt his busy schedule to read the 14-page letters obsessed fan-girls had written. At least that was how Chad Dylan Cooper had explained it to her, although she saw no method to the madness.

So here she was, sitting cross-legged on the soft carpet of his dressing room and skimming over a note from yet another disillusioned teen who'd written a poem about Chad. It almost made her want to gag. _If only they all knew the __real__ Chad Dylan Cooper; then he'd only get about 2 letters a day instead of 2,000. _

Sonny bit her lip, glared stiffly at the next blank line on the page, and then epitomized it into a single sentence…

_223. You and I were meant for each other._

…Before stuffing it in an extra-large trash bag with a shudder and moving on. Groaning in frustration, she checked the time on her phone: 4:30 p.m. Well, hopefully her So Random castmates had finished the Cinderella sketch. They'd have to wait until tomorrow to rehearse it before performing it in two days. _It won't be too hard for me to get into character, _Sonny thought ruefully, as she thought about her current situation.

She stood to her feet and stretched her legs a little bit. Thankfully, she was alone in Chad Dylan Cooper's dressing room; he had disappeared about fifteen minutes ago behind the mystical double doors for an "important meeting". To Sonny, it sounded like a bowling match was being held behind those doors, but she knew her ears must be deceiving her.

Sonny decided to make use of this golden opportunity to snoop and consequently tip-toed over to Chad's vanity. A brightly-colored Tween Weekly magazine caught her eye; namely, the picture of a certain well-known jerkface that was consuming three-fourths of the front cover. Shaking her head, she opened to the feature article on Chad Dylan Cooper, hoping to get a good laugh out of the interview and see what new lies the heartthrob had invented this time.

She was shocked to see her picture side-by-side to one of Chad, the title overhead reading "Mackenzie Falls Star Spills About Relationship". Curiosity overcoming her, she read on to assess the damage. In the interview, Chad had insisted that she'd been in love with him since the day she arrived at Condor Studios. Sonny seethed inwardly but couldn't help recognizing a small nugget of truth in what he was saying.

However, the final part was what enraged her the most:

_**Heraldo:**__Mr. Cooper, although you claim that Sonny Munroe wants to pursue a relationship with you, do you have any evidence to support this assumption?_

_**Cooper: **__Um, well… yes, I do._

_**Heraldo:**__ Is there any kind of written or photographic evidence you can provide Tween Weekly readers with to ease their suspicions?_

_**Cooper:**__ I could show you some written proof, but not at the moment. I'd need to talk everything over with my agents first. _

_**Heraldo: **__Well, it's about time to wrap up. Anything you'd like to say about your perspective on the relationship?_

_**Cooper:**__ Um, just that it's no surprise Sonny's fallen for me. I mean she's a nice girl and all, and I kinda feel sorry for her. After all, she's up against millions of girls who feel the same way about me._

_**Heraldo: **__Well, thanks, Mr. Cooper. I'll give you a call in the next few days to see if we can get a hold of that evidence._

_**Cooper:**__ Sounds good._

_**Heraldo:**__ It's been my pleasure to speak with you. Take care._

_**Cooper:**__ Same. _

Sonny felt like marching right up to those double doors, tearing them down, and engaging in a heated fist fight with Chad. When had she ever told him she had feelings for him? More specifically, when had she _ever_ written or sent anything to him that would suggest so, like he claimed? Although Sonny's fiery spirit was persuading her to have it out with Chad Dylan Cooper there and then, her intuition advised another course of action: while she had the opportunity, looking for and destroying the proof might be the best form of damage control.

She immediately began quietly opening the drawers of his vanity, looking for anything she might have written him in days past. A complete and silent search revealed nothing. Sonny sighed with frustration. Of course, the "evidence" that Chad had threatened to send to Tween Weekly could be anywhere: hidden somewhere in the studio, or in his car, or in his apartment. Trying to find it would just be a hopeless case.

Shoulders slumped, she returned to gather up her things and go. She'd had quite enough of these blackmailing threats from Chad and was thoroughly fed up with all of the manipulation. _Sonny Munroe has a life, _she reminded herself encouragingly, _and it's not going to be controlled by heartless, egotistical jerk like Chad Dylan Cooper. _As she stuffed the rest of his unopened fan mail vindictively into the trash bag, knowing he wouldn't care about or notice their absence, Sonny had half a mind to tear up the long list she'd just written under Chad's orders. After all, why should she help a guy that was perpetually out to get her?

Picking up the sheets of paper, she struggled internally over what to do. On the one hand she could take a chance, dispose of all that hard work, and risk Chad's retaliation and ultimately the loss of her job. On the other hand, Sonny could surrender the list to Chad, resume working in the cafeteria, and make her life a whole lot easier. She pored over her neatly-written list of fans' sentences exulting over the talent and charm of Chad Dylan Cooper. _You know, if anyone found this list, it'd be quite incriminating on my part, _she thought, as a suspicion sparked in her mind.

Suddenly the answer burst upon her like a round of exploding fireworks. The list _was_ the tool Chad was planning to use to prove his point to Tween Weekly readers across the nation! Sonny couldn't believe she'd been suckered into his masterful plan to prove to Santiago that she'd completely fallen for him. And sure enough, once the magazine published a picture of that list, no one would be able to deny it was in her hand-writing and written specifically about Chad.

All of a sudden, Sonny grinned brilliantly and exhaled with relief. Well, no magazine was going to get this list. She'd destroy it herself, or better yet ask Zora of a creative way to do it so as to leave no trace behind.

She was marching triumphantly out with the papers when the double doors on the other side of the room suddenly swung open, revealing a confused Chad Dylan Cooper.

"Leaving already?" he asked, his eyebrows raised quizzically. "I didn't think you'd be able to finish that quickly. Well, just let me know where the list is, and I'll take it from there," he offered, stepping forward.

"The list?" Sonny questioned, feigning ignorance. Her face cleared as she pretended to remember. "Oh, right – you mean that "evidence" you were going to send to Tween Weekly to support your lies?" She smiled pityingly. "Yeah, I found out, Chad. And there's no use trying to get it from me because I'm leaving right now to destroy it. So have a nice day, and don't knock yourself out trying to find something new to incriminate me with." She stomped deliberately down the hall as the heartthrob ran after her.

"Sonny!" he barked. "I can't _believe_ you've been snooping through my stuff! I trusted you to work respectably in my room without supervision, and this is what I get for it." Chad glared at her dramatically, his eyes narrowing as he thought of his next move. "But you're coming right back in here, because you're still my personal assistant until the end of the day, unless you want to bid goodbye to your job." He cursed himself inwardly for sounding so cruel. But Chad knew deep down inside that it was only an empty threat; he held Sonny in too high esteem to _completely_ ruin her life. _Thank God all those acting classes had paid off_, he thought as his face remained impassive and stern when Sonny swiveled around to confront him.

"I don't think so, Chad – because now _I_ have the power to blackmail _you_ with this," she countered, drawing the folded list from her pocket and waving it in his face. "Tween Weekly would just love to get some dirt on you, and this whole incident would be the perfect story for them." She laughed as his mouth opened in protest, about to walk away until he grabbed her arm.

"Look, Sonny…" he sighed as those lovely brown eyes turned towards him once again, full of suspicion and determination. He'd been about to tell her off once and for all, but his mind performed a somersault just as she faced him. _I should never have even __thought__ about using her like that, _he groaned inwardly as his heart began melting like it usually did when he was in close proximity to Sonny Munroe. "I… I've been really… um, well, stupid about this whole thing, okay? And I know you probably don't want to, but I'd be willing to call this whole dumb argument-thing quits," he said, speaking sincerely and meaning every word he spoke aloud. There was an awkward silence as both pairs of eyes studied the floor. "S-So what do you think?" Chad broke in uncertainly, holding his breath.

"I think," Sonny paused and furrowed her eyebrows. "…I think that I'll let you off the hook just this once, Chad, but only because you _did_ sort of do me a favor back there in the cafeteria, even if you were out to get me all along," she looked pointedly at him but couldn't help it as a smile played at the corner of her lips. Chad noticed and returned a sheepish grin as he nervously rubbed the back of his neck. _Sonny Munroe, you are the __best_, he thought penitently.

Sonny looked startled as she mumbled, "Was that a compliment?"

Chad Dylan Cooper was tongue-tied for the first time in his life. Glancing quickly at her before returning his gaze to his well-polished Italian shoes, he responded, "Um, I just said that out loud, didn't I?"

"Yeah, you did," Sonny replied, smiling shyly. She fumbled around her pocket for her cell phone and cleared her throat as Chad remained silent. "Well, it's almost five, I'd better head off to work." She turned to go but was arrested by a gentle grip on her shoulder, stopped once again for the umpteenth time that day by Chad Dylan Cooper.

"Sonny, you know what I just said?" He looked meaningfully down at the brunette as he continued. "Well… I meant it," he stated softly, his warm hand still resting lightly on her. Sonny Munroe almost swooned for the first time in _her_ life. A real, sincere compliment from Chad Dylan Cooper?

"Thanks," she said quietly, her mind in a dither as she began to walk unsteadily down the hall towards the cafeteria. A thoughtful Chad was left in her wake, staring after her retreating figure.

_Miracles still do exist,_ Sonny thought, as a pleasant warm feeling bubbled up inside of her. At least she'd have a lot to think about to take her mind off of work tonight…

* * *

So just to let you guys know, I'm feeling really insecure about this chapter. I'm not quite sure whether I like it or not. And please forgive me if there are mistakes - I haven't had a whole lot of time to proofread.

Please let me know what you think about it – good or bad, I love it all! Thanks to everyone who has been so diligent in reviewing this story. I seriously squeal every time I get a notification about a new review. :) Y'all are awesome!

All the best,

Victoria L., a.k.a. addicted2SWAC


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